Worst Timing Ever
by Sunshine and Chocolate
Summary: Clark Kent just fell in love with his best friend Lois Lane. However, when she returns from a two month long trip he will see she brought home a few surprises. Can he overcome the obstacles involved in trying to win over the feisty brunette?
1. Chapter 1

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 1

Pairing: Clark/Lois

Rating: PG-13

Episodes/Spoilers: None

Summary: Clark Kent just fell in love with his best friend Lois Lane. However, when she returns from a two month long trip he will see she brought home a few surprises. Can he overcome the obstacles involved in trying to win over the feisty brunette? Clois AU

Author's Note: So this will be an alternate universe. I watched the movie Made of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey and a few of the scenes made me think that Clark and Lois could rock those same scenes just as much as the two characters in the movie. So I started to think about writing a story about it and after some time I actually did get around to writing it. However, this will be an alternate universe because Clark does not have his powers. So that will change some things obviously. I hope you all enjoy it anyway!

Disclaimer: I own nothing mentioned in this story at all!

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If there was one thing that Clark knew it was that he was blessed. He was blessed with great parents that he loved. That taught him the morals, values, and respect for others any young man should have to become a well-mannered, successful adult. His parents gave him love, and attention that some only yearn for, and he would not have traded them for anything else in the world. And his childhood home was one filled with a loving tenderness that was almost idealistic.

So yes, Clark had pretty fantastic parents.

There were also many other things that he was blessed with but one that meant more than others was a certain woman. It was the one and only Lois Lane.

His best friend in the entire world and on some occasions his partner in crime so to speak.

Their friendship was closer than most and as writing partners, well it was hard to compete with them.

The connection he shared with Lois was one that he had never ever had before. She was the person he turned to in times of anxiety, or sorrow and the person that could make him laugh when he felt like breaking down. He had a tendency to wear the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Lois could make him see that he should ease up on it.

It was like Clark was an open book to her. She could read him that easily. It got frustrating from time to time but he loved her for it all the same.

Just by the way he stood she could tell what he was feeling and whether or not a lot was on his mind. Lois knew when he needed a kick in the pants delivered to him directly by her "tough love" but she also knew when he just needed to vent so all she offered was an ear to listen.

And Clark was the same for Lois.

There were times when Clark would be her rock. He was one of the select few that was allowed to see her vulnerable side. When she let her walls crumble he was allowed to glimpse at what she kept hidden behind them. And even then she would give him some of her free advice on love and heartache that was really best for both of them.

But the mundane came just as easy.

Clark knew what she liked on her pizza and it was never the same thing. Oddly enough… he rarely missed on what she was craving in the moment. He knew she preferred scary movies over sappy ones on Valentine's Day but when it came down to it Lois would never be able to resist Casablanca.

She could be overbearing sometimes, and had a tendency to lose her patience with uncooperative witnesses or sources on their stories. Lois liked to say, reluctantly, that that was what made them such a good team because one could back up the other under those types of circumstances. And Clark would agree with a smirk on his face.

It was very telling of their friendship considering the rocky road they had started out on.

Under the hot summer sun Clark and Lois had met on the side of a road. He had blown a tire with only a spare and no adequate tools to replace it. It was just his luck. Clark had struggled for almost an hour with no results when a car had pulled up to help him. Lois liked to say she "saved" him but the point was that within a matter of minutes she had him all set up to head back to his farmhouse. Which he did and it would have been the end of the story if Lois had not turned out to be Chloe's cousin.

Because of their distinct personalities and the difference in wording when they told the story of how they first met, they clashed at first.

She never let him forget that day or the fact that she could change the tire he could not no matter what the circumstances were.

Things in their friendship had grown little by little over time.

As the years went on and the amount of time spent together grew Clark and Lois became closer. It was quite a transition from being snarky and sarcastic "semi-sorta kind of" friends to friends that knew absolutely everything about one another.

It would freak others out sometimes how well Lois knew Clark and how well he knew her in return. Something she found annoying too but that was just Lois.

They were together all of the time. Though that was helped by the fact that they were partners at the Daily Planet and their desks were practically touching in the bullpen.

It never seemed to be enough for either of them, though.

Weekends were generally spent in Metropolis shopping for new clothes for Clark. She said that it was always best to keep his wardrobe up to date considering his affliction toward plaid. Lois did not want a repeat of his first official day at the Planet. Something she would never get sick of mentioning when dragging him from store to store.

No more wardrobe malfunctions for him according to Lois.

And when they were not shopping or catching up on any local happenings then they would head out to Smallville. Those days were spent being lazy on the porch watching Lois pretend to loathe Shelby's constant presence. Then after a long hard day of work in the barn, and Lois helping out in any way she could both would chow down on his Mom's delicious home cooked meals.

Nights at the farm were usually spent just like nights in the city. They were either watching a movie or locked in a heated battle of Scrabble or Clue.

And mornings on their day off were spent walking around the city enjoying all of their usual spots including the bakery across the street from the Museum of Art.

Lois and Clark were currently standing in line inside of that little shop. It was crowded for a Tuesday morning. If Perry had not insisted they take a break after busting the commissioner of the school board for taking bribes and dealing with unsavory people… neither reporters would be there either.

They were though and just like every other time Lois was staring intently at the board above the counter. It was filled with lots of yummy options but just like Clark could tell what Lois wanted on her pizza… she could always guess what his sweet tooth was craving.

Sometimes it just took longer than usual. Today was one of those times.

"So what are you thinking today?" Clark asked as he stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his blue jeans.

Lois, in a pale yellow button shirt and khaki pants, glanced at him before looking back at the menu above the counter. "Um, I don't know."

Clark smiled at the intense look of concentration on her pretty features. Only she could take something like this so seriously. And it presented him with the perfect opportunity to tease her a little.

He smiled to himself.

"_You don't know_? What does that mean?" Clark questioned trying his best to keep the smile out of his voice. "Is that supposed to mean you are losing your ability to determine what I want to eat today?"

Lois glared at him and put her hand on her hip. "If you know what is best for you and your health mister then you will keep your voice down while I concentrate."

Clark nodded his head and turned his eyes to the menu as well, "Whatever you say."

He heard as Lois let out a frustrated growl under her breath. It only lasted a few seconds before she let out a gasp of surprise and suddenly grabbed him by the arm.

"How about a triple fudge brownie cupcake with vanilla frosting and mocha sprinkles," She grinned smugly at him and bit her lip just a little.

Clark pretended to consider it carefully by placing a hand on his chin in an overdramatic gesture of contemplation. He continued to act like it was a hard decision while Lois anxiously waited for him to decide on whether or not to go with her suggestion.

And just before Lois looked like she would blow up at him, as she had many times before when he took his time deciding, Clark made his move.

Dropping his hand with a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear, he said. "That sounds like perfection."

"You dork." Lois teased as she hit him lightly in the rib cage.

He laughed as he faked a hurt expression and rubbed the side where she had poked him.

"Hey… watch it."

Lois glanced at him from the corner of her eye. The line grew shorter so they both stepped up to the next spot before she continued.

"If you do not take the smug smile off your face, you won't be so cute once I am done with you."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" Clark quipped back but changed the subject quickly before she had a chance to respond.

"So… triple fudge brownie cupcake with vanilla frosting and mocha sprinkle? Can't wait," Clark said with a goofy smile on his face.

Lois' glare ebbed a little when he displayed his childlike enthusiasm, and swatted his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"You _are_ a dork."

Both of them laughed a little as they turned their attention to the waitress behind the counter ready to take their orders.

Clark sighed as Lois took control of the process and told the teenage girl exactly what she would like and then exactly what he would like. He was damn lucky to have her as his best friend because without her, his life would be boring and predictable.

Who wants that?

* * *

End of Chapter 1.

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	2. Chapter 2

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 2

* * *

There wasn't very much activity in the small deli for a Saturday afternoon. It was one of those places that only locals knew about and frequented.

That was a part of the quaint appeal it held for the tiny group that loved to spend time there on occasion.

Lana and Chloe were huddled together on one side of a small booth while Lois and Clark sat opposite them.

Chloe watched as Lois picked off all of the cucumbers from her chicken sandwich then traded them with Clark for his pickle and coleslaw. That was just one example of the close friendship between the two reporters. And not the first time Chloe had witnessed such an exchange between them at mealtime.

She thought it was nice actually.

They had a friendship that most would envy and to be honest it was hard to admit that over the years Lois and she had not been as close as they were when they were teenagers.

But at the same time it was hard to stay that way when she saw how happy Clark could make Lois. They were the type of friends that were unconditional. The push and pull relationship they had was something neither had had before and both enjoyed that uniqueness.

She was happy for them except when it came to the fact that their constant denial was driving her crazy, and Lana too. If only they could see what was so obvious to even the most casual observer.

Yet neither was brave enough to confront it.

Suddenly she was pulled out of her thoughts when Clark asked her a question.

"So Chloe, how are you doing with the magazine? What is the next place you are gonna visit? Rome… Paris? Maybe somewhere really exotic like… Fiji?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Haha Clark, you're real hoot, you know?"

Clark chuckled but Lois hit him in the chest which took the grin right off his face as Lana joined in.

"Seriously though Chloe, where?"

"Umm, I am not sure where they are sending me next. I just turned in that piece on Death Valley and the different places to stay in that area. I may stay here for a while but who knows?"

Several years ago Chloe had snagged a job at a prominent travel magazine based in the city. She traveled all over covering different traditions, cultures, and deciding where people should hang out and the places a tourist should avoid. She loved the adventure of meeting new people and seeing new places, and she was rarely bored.

Although it had one drawback, and that was the amount of time she got to spend with Jimmy which was not much. He probably spent more time with Clark and Lois than he did her through no fault of his own.

She picked up her bag of potato chips to distract herself from really following that depressing thought all the way through.

Clark looked at her and smiled a little. "Do you think they will send you abroad any time soon?"

Chloe sighed, and put the bag back down on the table. "Apparently I have not yet paid my dues so no traveling abroad for this little lady which sucks because I would so love to do that."

Lois sipped at her drink through the straw before turning her attention to her cousin. "When will they realize how awesome you are over at that stupid place? I mean how many years have you worked for them? Like seven years?"

"Just five."

Lana glanced at her with a slight frown. "But that is still a really long time."

Chloe nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich.

"Yep but at this point there is nothing I can do about it. I don't have as much seniority as a few others that get those types of assignments. So they get them before I would."

Clark smiled at her with a friendly twinkle. "Your day will come I'm sure."

Lana added in. "Of course she will! And when she does she has to bring back tons of pictures for us to look at."

Both Lois and Clark nodded.

"And souvenirs."

"Lots of them."

Lana smiled before popping a French fry into her mouth, "So what about you two? Anything new and exciting in the lives of Lois and Clark Kent?"

Chloe choked on her water slightly as the said pair wore identical shocked expressions on their faces. After a moment they glanced at each other cautiously then returned their gaze to her.

"You forgot my last name in there; you make it sound like we are married, when we are far from it." Lois said snorted.

"Yeah, just friends."

Lana nodded as she flipped her shoulder length hair away from her neck and stared seriously at the pair across from her. "Um yeah I know that, why exactly?"

Chloe sat next to her having recovered from her bought of light laughing. The soft features of her face held a curious and very interested expression. It was a very valid question, after all.

Lois chuckled a bit awkwardly, "Me and farmboy, here? We could always be just friends, it is just how it is."

Clark nodded in agreement next to her. "Yeah I mean, we fight all of the time—"

"We fight all of the time? No we don't, we bicker. There is a major difference Clark."

He let out an irritated but slightly amused sigh. "Fighting and bickering is the same thing Lois. It is not like comparing oranges to apples."

"Yeah it is, fighting would imply that there is anger between us. Bickering is like annoyance. And Lord knows there is _plenty_ of that."

Clark rolled his eyes. "I annoy you all the time, is that what that means? Like you are a walk in the park 'Miss Clark needs his typos underlined _and_ circled' even though you and spelling aren't exactly the best of friends."

As Lois went into her rebuttal Lana and Chloe looked at each other. A look of defeat and frustration exchanged between the two women.

No matter how many times either brought the subject up it was hard to get any direct responses. It was starting to get old watching Lois and Clark dance around the fact that they were pretty much made for each other. It was so simple and easy to see that they fit together perfectly. It was getting harder to drop hints all of the time like the "slip" Lana had just had because it was always breezed over and forgotten. They always got distracted by another bantering session that was just blatant flirting, really.

Lana shrugged at Chloe.

What could they do if Lois and Clark weren't ready to face their feelings yet?

~x~

After lunch Lois and Clark headed to an antique shop down the street. It was a store that they visited from time to time to check out all of the knick knacks, and see if they could make any fantastic finds for a cheap price.

Lois loved it.

She dropped down to her knees as she inspected a silver tea pot with a serving tray on the lowest shelf on one of the walls. She checked out the price tag, and shrugged as she picked it up. Her eyes then searched for that tall dark haired man she had come in with.

She, of course, spotted him easily.

"Smallville," She yelled across the store causing a few other customers to look her way.

But he turned his head immediately, and Lois smiled. At one point in time he had hated that nickname but now she knew that Clark was used to it and enjoyed it too. No one else could call him that and get away with it which was what she loved the most.

"What do you think?" She asked as he approached her.

Clark looked at the pot briefly and got that look of dislike on his face that she knew very well.

"I don't know Lois, they will have about five of these in their pile of gifts, do you really want to make it six?"

Lois sighed. "I guess not but you know mine would be their favorite."

Clark smirked, "Yep, sure."

She threw him a mock glare. "Oh, and I suppose you have found them the most spectacular gift in all the land, huh? What is it a gift certificate to 'Farmers R Us'?"

"As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I would get them." Clark said with a smile. "If there were such a store but there is not."

Lois bent down and returned the tea set to its original spot before standing up to her full height. She grinned at Clark with one hand on her hip.

"You would know." She quipped before tugging on his arm. "Now, seriously what do you think Tina and her hubby-to-be would need or want?"

Clark shook his head as they strolled further through the store. "To be honest I have no clue what to buy as a wedding gift."

Lois sighed again, "Money?"

He glanced at her. "I guess but don't you think that is impersonal? Kind of lazy, too?"

"Not at all, I mean we are busy people, Tina knows that because we work together. So I think she would be very grateful to get some money in an envelope."

"In an envelope? So don't even bother getting them a card?" Clark asked skeptical. "At the very least they should get a card."

Lois smiled at him as they turned the corner to another section of the back of the store where all of the antique clocks were kept. "Yeah, a nice cheesy Hallmark card that sends a message of true love, soulmates, and finding your happily ever after."

Clark looked out of the corner of his eye. "Why are you always so cynical when it comes to love?"

Lois shook her head. "I'm not really it just, gosh if you have read one of those cards you have read them all, don't you think?"

He nodded. "Yeah… you have a point there."

"Aw, Clark, when are you going to learn that everything I say has a point and it is always a very good one."

Clark smiled, and took a step toward a grandfather clock to his left. "So are you bringing a date?"

Lois stood beside him and peeked around his shoulder at the beautifully finished wood of the clock's base. "I don't know, weddings kind of bring expectations even if it is that of a co-worker. Plus, I have no time to date and I am not going to waste one of my only date nights on dancing the hokey pokey, eating bad cake, and hearing the incessant noise of people clinking their glasses waiting for the lovebirds to kiss."

Clark chuckled to himself at the very vivid and accurate account of a wedding reception.

"You?" She asked as she bumped her shoulder with his and turned toward another counter with a display of pocket watches.

"Um, nope. I don't have time to find a date before the wedding."

He brought his head around to look at her as an idea struck him. "So you don't have a date."

Lois looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, we just covered that."

"And I don't have a date, why don't we just go together?"

She stared at him for a second, "Seriously?"

"It makes sense, come on Lois, what are you afraid of? Not being able to resist me and my charm?"

"You? Charming? Oh get over yourself Kent… "Lois said warningly. "If you let your ego get any bigger I will just have to take you down a peg or two."

Clark laughed again before looking at her for an answer. "So, what do you say?"

Lois hesitated for a moment then added, "Oh, what the hell."

Clark beamed a smile at her as he ran a hand through his hair, and rubbing his hand over the back of his neck. Lois smiled back at him and quirked an eyebrow at him. "So it's a date and it will be the best one you have ever had, bucko."

"Great, now let's go and find one of those cheesy, sappy cards for you to give to them as a gift. Maybe you could get them one of those cards that sing?" He said bumped his shoulder with hers as he moved passed her.

Lois smirked at him before following him as they headed for the door. "Not gonna happen, ever."

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End of Chapter 2.

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	3. Chapter 3

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 3

* * *

The lights in the hall were dim but they sparkled upon the couples milling around the dance floor. The band on stage filled the room with a somewhat upbeat melody that everyone seemed to enjoy.

Lois sighed as she leaned against the edge of the bar. The added factors of standing around for too long, the hair that was falling in her face, and how dry the chicken had been all lead up to her irritated mood.

She glanced to her right to see Clark standing next to her in his tuxedo. Lois had to admit that he looked damn good and he was the only thing that kept her night from being a total bust.

"Anyhoo, what is on your mind tonight?" She asked with a bump of their shoulders. "What are you feeling?"

"What?" He asked as he leaned in closer to her at the bar so their arms touched and his warm breath hit her neck. She smiled up into his face.

"Try to keep up Smallville, dessert."

"Ah," Clark nodded his head. "Um, well let's see if I can remember this correctly. I get chocolate and you get vanilla?"

Lois smirked. "You have learned well, young Pad wan."

Moments later they gave their orders to the waiter when he came around their way before turning toward each other as they waited.

"Do you think Tina thought of all of this or do you think it was the rich family she married into that put it together?" She asked quietly to Clark as to not be overheard by some of the surrounding guests.

Clark looked at her then slowly looked around the huge ballroom. The color scheme was purple, silver and white with elegant center pieces that seemed fit for royalty. It was beautiful.

"I think Tina would want a major say in what her reception looked like. Girls love doing that kind of stuff."

"I can just picture her picking between eggshell white and sparkling ivory." Lois rolled her eyes. "Seriously, this is the woman that has come to work, on more than one occasion, mind you, with two different colored socks on."

He threw her an annoyed look, and Lois grinned at him before he reprimanded her like she knew he would.

"Lois, you really should not insult the bride."

Her grin turned into more of a smirk as she turned her body closer to his, and lightly touched his chest above his heart. It only earned her a smirk in return.

"_I_ know _you_ know I'm right, I won't force you to admit it."

"Oh, how nice of you," Clark said in reply as he took her hand in his own. They continued to stare at one another for a moment until he spoke again in a whisper that held a joking manner to it. "You're really just too much, sometimes, you know?"

"Oh you love it." She said and crinkled her nose at him.

Clark chuckled, "You got me there."

Lois smiled at him as he dropped her hand, and they both turned back toward the bar. She picked up her glass and sipped before glancing at him from the corner of her eye then peeking at the happy couple sitting at the head table.

"Although, it does surprise me that they are getting married this soon. Tina only met this guy what? Six months ago."

Clark looked at her with a frown, "Yeah, I think so. It could be a little more than that like seven months but it can't be very much more. Maybe they just fell head over heels for each other?"

She stared back into his blue depths, and shrugged. "Do you think that that really happens?"

"What do you mean?"

Lois looked at him intently as she questioned. "People who fall so in love so fast that they just know? They know they have found _it_? True love."

"I don't know... I hope so."

They fell into a silence as they both continued to stare at the other. Lois had always thought Clark's eyes were his most striking feature but in that moment there was something else dancing in his orbs that she could not quite make out. Something that was not usually what she found looking back at her when they were around each other.

But Lois never got the chance to really figure anything out because the waiter showed up at that moment and delivered their desserts.

The moment that had transpired was quickly forgotten as both dived into their cake.

Lois closed her eyes a little as she took her first bite of vanilla goodness but when she opened them again something caught her eye.

"Oh my goodness, look at the guy in the blue monstrosity." She whispered and watched as his eyes followed her direction. Only moments later his eyes widened in shock and his face broke out in a reluctant smile.

"Wow... you can see him coming from a mile away."

"More like two," She quipped.

They broke out into laughter but tried to keep it contained from all of the other guests surrounding them. They were interrupted by the arrival of their dessert and they quickly devoured their sweet treats.

"Mhmm… that looks so good." Lois said as she dug her fork into his chocolate layer cake with fudge icing.

"Not as good as yours." Clark said as he took a big bite out of her sweet vanilla cake with powdered sugar sprinkled around the plate. They sat there for a few moments eating quietly. Each taking as much of the other person's food as they would their own until Clark looked at Lois pensively.

"Why do we do this every time?"

Lois furrowed her eyebrows at him and licked some lingering frosting off her fork. "What do you mean?"

"We always love what the other one gets… why do I always have to order the chocolate even though it is really your favorite?"

Lois stuck her fork in the air as she answered. "Well it serves a few purposes… one I like to have a little taste of each vanilla and chocolate…"

"Understandable."

"And two because and if you tell anyone this it will be the end of you but I feel less guilty about eating sweets when they aren't full of chocolate-ly heaven. Plus, you could eat anything and it would never show on you so."

"Glad I could be of service then, I guess." Clark said with a smile as he took another bite of her cake.

"Why else do you think I keep you around?" Lois teased.

"Oh, my good looks… my charming smile… or how about my knack for getting you out of highly dangerous and potentially lethal situations." He supplied easily.

"Please Kent, you could easily be replaced," She countered with a quirk of her eyebrow. "So you better stay on your best behavior."

"Yes ma'am."

Lois smiled again as she was about to speak she noticed the horrified expression come over Clark's features at lightning speed that immediately filled her with concern.

"Are you okay?"

All she got in response was Clark turning his head and hiding his face behind his hand as he pointed toward the entrance to the ballroom. In an instant Lois knew what had made Clark change so suddenly.

"Oh my god," She whispered. "What is she doing here?"

"Probably was invited just like we were, she works at the Planet too." He answered in a hushed tone.

She watched as the woman got closer and closer and knew that she had to come up with a plan before Clark was noticed. Lois looked quickly around the room and knew right away what to do.

Lois grabbed Clark's hand and tugged on it with force. "Let's dance."

"Dance," Clark asked. "Now is not the time to celebrate and have a grand time Lois—"

"If we get lost in the crowd then she won't find you, now we have to find a freaking good spot because you're so tall."

"Well sorry, I can't help it." He replied, annoyed but somewhat relieved that she had a plan.

"You should at least _try_…" She said as she pushed through the couples on the dance floor.

They weaved their way in and out of peoples' way as Lois continued to tug on his arm. When she stopped in the middle of a dense area she knew that it was the best spot possible. Lois let her hand fall from his forearm down into his hand and entwined their fingers.

She turned around, and noticed that underneath the twinkle light of the mirror ball Clark looked even more handsome in his tuxedo than he had just standing around.

Lois shook her head and met his eyes as he pulled her into his body. His hand went to the small of her back, and her other hand rested on his broad chest. She saw that the look of his apprehension was still on his face.

She could not blame him.

Melissa Stanley was the woman they were hiding from. She worked as an assistant at the Planet and was harmless except for the huge, gigantic crush she had on Clark. The woman held a serious torch for her dark haired friend. All poor Clark had to do to elicit such feelings from Melissa… was say hello and that was it.

Craziness had ensued since that moment and it had not let up a little bit.

His deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts a second later.

"Do you want to know what her latest online journal entry was about?" Clark offered in a hushed tone as he put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer.

"Probably about the color of your tie on Tuesday or the perfect symmetry of your face."

"Try a two page essay on which way I should part my hair. To the left or to the right?"

"Oh yeah and the verdict," Lois asked looking into his face. He looked back at her with a dismissive expression.

"She was unable to reach a conclusion because she has never seen my hair wet or parted down the middle."

"Jeez, I can hardly imagine what she would say if she saw you fresh out of the shower." Lois whispered as she placed her chin on his shoulder.

"You say that like you like what I look like fresh out of the shower. Why Lois I never knew you felt that way." He joked and rested his head against hers as they swayed back and forth.

"Oh please, "Lois scoffed then decided to change the subject quickly. "Why don't you just give her a chance? Who knows… once you get past her rough and crazy exterior… then you might actually find a warm, kind soul underneath."

"Like I did with you?" He teased, "Because that worked out so well for me the first time?"

"Oh shut up… we both know that I am the best thing that ever happened to you." She retorted in a whisper and Lois felt Clark nodded his head a little.

A moment later the soft music seemed to drown out any other sounds. Lois closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feel of Clark's strong arms around her body, and the faint sound of his comforting heartbeat. She heard him let out a sigh and knew that it was one of contentment. Lois was happy that her plans had been successful in getting his mind off of that woman and keep her away from them completely.

If she had been looking at her friend in that exact moment Lois would have found a look of wonder, and slight confusion in his eyes with a small smile sparkling on his lips.

"CLARK!"

Both jumped at the sound and turned to see who had caused it.

"Oh, hey Melissa," Lois said through gritted teeth. Apparently, she had thought too soon.

"Hi, how are you doing?" She asked looking straight at Clark but continued on before he could even answer. "Are you having a nice time? It is a beautiful wedding, right?"

Clark shrugged and glanced at Lois for help. "Um, it is a pretty nice wedding."

"Yeah," She agreed blindly with an excited grin. "So um…do you think that you could, um, I mean could you, maybe dance with me?"

If she hadn't felt so sorry for him Lois probably would have laughed at the dumbfounded and scared look on Clark's face. But she had to take pity on her best friend.

Lois placed her hand on his chest and snuggled into the side of his body before looking Melissa square in the eye.

"Oh, Melissa I am _so_ sorry but—uh Clark is my date tonight and he promised every last dance to me and well you see how good looking he is, why would I want to share him?" Lois told her in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Melissa whipped her head toward Clark but he just nodded his head and pulled Lois tighter against his body.

"I am afraid it is true."

Melissa stomped her foot on the ground before turning toward the exit in a huff of anger.

She barreled through the crowd like a linebacker and almost knocked a waiter and his tray to the ground before finally leaving their sight.

Lois glanced at Clark and a second later they both busted out in laughter at the whole thing.

~x~

The sun peaked over the skyline as Lois and Clark walked quietly through the park side by side. The birds were just waking up and she knew that Clark loved these moments in Metropolis. Moments when you could almost forget you were in a big city. Lois closed her eyes for a moment and soaked in the sun's warm rays. It was a rare moment that they could enjoy; it made her feel guilty for having to break it.

But she had no other choice, Lois had put off telling him but now she kind of had to.

She opened her eyes and glanced at Clark before taking a deep breath.

"Perry called me into his office yesterday." Lois started apprehensively.

Clark nodded for her to continue and kept his eyes trained on the sidewalk in front of them.

"He told me that he was shipping me out to London for two months…"

Clark stopped walking abruptly and turned to her with his mouth opened slightly in shock.

"What? Uh... I mean... what? "

Lois sighed and shrugged. "He said that he wants me to cover the opening of a new wing in the historical museum over there because some big wig from Metropolis is a huge contributor."

"But why do _you_ have to go?" Clark stuttered. "I mean… why is he sending you? Doesn't Arnold Smith usually handle that stuff? "

"Yeah! That is exactly what I said to Perry!" Lois said blurted out and huffed her bangs out of her face. "He is so punishing me for continuing that piece on the sexual harassment in the district attorney's office without his permission…"

"Well to be honest you had like, zero hard evidence against the guy—"

"I got some eventually and who cares… it turned out to be such a great story… and now he is punishing me for it."

She looked at Clark again with a pout on her lips. "I don't want to go to stupid London."

Clark sighed and walked closer to her. As they stood face to face he pulled a loose hair from her face and placed in behind her ear. Then he gave her a sad smile that she tried to return but was having a lot of trouble doing so.

"I know but this is better than him sticking you with latest opening of some high end clothing store. You hate those too at least this way you will get some great contacts in the journalism world…just grin and bear it."

"For two months." Lois whined.

"Two months, it will be gone before we know it." He tried to assure her.

"I don't believe you." Lois smiled. "Thanks for trying though."

"No problem."

"I am going to miss you." Lois sighed and leaned into his embrace for a hug.

Clark pulled her tight into his body and sighed too. "I am going to miss you too."

* * *

End of Chapter 3.

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	4. Chapter 4

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 4

* * *

Author's Note: I just want to say that I am sorry for not updating this story in so long! Things happened and I just kind of had to bump up further and further down on my list of things to do but I am back now! Thanks for waiting!

Clark walked out of the revolving doors of the Daily Planet. The sun was shining and he could feel the warmth on his face and he tried his best to soak it all in. He wanted to try and enjoy some of the last truly nice days of the season before all of the cold weather started to roll in.

But even with the nice warm sunshine, and the great day he had just had at work…

Clark had decided that life just sucked.

He glanced down the sidewalk both ways before turning to his right and walking briskly with the rest of the busy people of Metropolis. Clark put his sunglasses on before stuffing one hand in his pocket, and took a deep breath in then let it out slowly.

For the last couple of days he had tried extremely hard to convince himself that he could be happy without Lois around. It had been a little over a week since he had had the displeasure of dropping her off at the airport. The first couple of days had been much like Clark had expected them to be.

Miserable.

But Clark had also expected that once the newness of it all had worn off… it would be a little easier for him to deal without her being around. And as it turns out it only gets worse with time.

He stopped at a corner with a crowd of people to wait for an opportunity to cross the street, and thought about the moment when he had actually dropped her off at the airport.

"_So this is it, Farmboy." Lois said and adjusted the strap of her briefcase over her shoulder. "See ya later, Sayonara… Au Revoir."_

_Clark chuckled at her a little. The entire drive there they had been trying to make a joke out of the whole thing. Their attempts hadn't really been successful because he could see it on her face. She was feeling as… unsure about this whole thing as he was._

_Lois still looked too cute though with that tight smile over her lips._

_He breathed in and said, "I guess… this just—"_

"_Blows," Lois supplied easily and without hesitation._

_Clark looked intently into her eyes and nodded his head. "Yeah."_

_She waggled her eyebrows at him a little before clapping her hands together. "Well it will be over before we know it, right?"_

"_Right," Clark agreed even though he had a funny feeling that it wouldn't be all that simple._

"_You'll see that I'll be back so soon you won't even get a chance to miss me." Lois said with another tight lipped smile._

"_Of course I will miss you. You are a very_ _miss-able person."_

_She nodded. "This is true."_

_Clark was about to add something but Lois cut him off._

"_Look Clark… I have to get going if I am going to make this flight." She looked down at her watch then looked back into his eyes. "I now only have forty-five minutes to get through the security and stuff before we board. So…"_

"_You have to go."_

_Lois looked at him and smiled before jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly. Clark clung to her and buried his head into her hair. He breathed in trying to remember how she smelled and how she felt. He could feel her hands move over his back and she sighed as she rested her cheek on his shoulder._

Clark was ripped out of his thoughts by the blaring of a car horn. He looked around to see that most of the people that had been standing with him on the corner were now on the other side of the street. And he was blocking the path of a taxi waiting to get through the intersection.

"Sorry!" Clark yelled before jogging across the street and once again joined the crowds of people going to and fro rather frantically.

It had been hard to say goodbye to Lois. A lot harder than he had thought it would be especially since it wasn't like she was moving to London. She _would _be back but it still made him sit up and realize how vital Lois was to him in his everyday life and in general.

It was making him re-think some things.

"ARGH!" Lois growled as she juggled her one grocery bag and her many other bags as she tried to open the door to her apartment. A small apartment just down the street from the office building where she was working with one of Perry's local contacts. The contact's name was Abby Michaels, and to put it mildly... Abby just did not like her. Lois had not been welcomed into a warm working environment by Abby, and she suspected that it was because, despite being her superior, Lois had already attained more awards and accolades than the her new boss. So as some sort of punishment Abby had saddled Lois with a _guide_. Someone that would make sure that she would not get lost when she was researching and writing her story.

And when Lois had assured her that she was perfectly capable of navigating the streets of London without being assigned a babysitter... Abby Michaels told her, in front of the whole office, that it was not Lois' place or job to be cute and that she was getting that guide. So her first few days in town had not been very nice at all.

She closed her eyes briefly to rid herself of the events and when she reopened them focused on her task once more.

She finally succeeded in opening the door and flung it so she could get inside before quickly shutting it behind her. Lois immediately divested her grocery bag on the nearest counter and the rest of her bags on the floor.

Lois blew out a huff of breath and let her eyes roam over her latest living arrangements. The apartment was so small she would argue it wasn't an apartment at all. She could see the living room, kitchen, and bathroom door from where she stood in the doorway. It was really just one big room with a little bathroom off to the side, and a loft that was only big enough for her bed and barely tall enough for her to stand up in.

**I'm hot blooded check it and see I got a fever of a hundred three**

She jumped at the sudden sound, and it only took her a few seconds to recognize the sound of her cell phone ring. Lois immediately knew that it was Clark because he had been trying to call her all day, and she had never been able to answer those calls in time.

"Clark just hang on!" Lois yelled as she dropped to her knees and tried to figure out what bag it was that she dumped her phone into on the walk home through the freaking rain, no less!

**Come on baby do you more than dance I'm hotblooded hotblooded**

"Which one is it!" Lois yelled frustrated as she reached in and out of all the little pockets her bags had. "Wait Clark!"

**I'm hot blooded check it and see I got a fever of a hundred three**

She stuffed her hands inside every corner of every bag she had. Lois found gum wrappers, files, her tape recorder, pens, and pencils, the two books she had started but never finished reading, her passport plus a half eaten granola bar from the plane ride.

Basically everything _but_ her cell phone.

"Wait—I think—" Lois said she reached into a particular tiny compartment of her briefcase. "YES! I got it! Clark!"

She opened the phone in an instant, "Hello?"

Lois deflated from her knees as she sat on the floor and was met with silence. "Hello?"

But she knew that there would be no answer and just like every other time that day when Clark had called… she had missed it.

She brought the phone down from her ear and stared at it in an almost rage like anger.

"NO!" Lois screamed in frustration. "Dammit!"

It had been three weeks since Lois had gone to London, and it had been eight days since the last time Clark had spoken to her. When she had first left Metropolis Clark had figured they would be able to talk at least once or twice a day but reality had proved him wrong. They barely had a chance to talk what with the time difference, the sometimes bad cell phone reception, and the fact that being a reporter was not a job with regular work hours. They weren't able to catch each other on the phone as often as he would've hoped.

He could not count all the times he had missed her calls or she had missed his. Too many times had he heard her voice on his voicemail and vice versa. It was really getting annoying and the worst part was that he could do nothing but just ride out the two months until she got back.

Missing her calls was not the only thing bothering Clark about Lois' absence.

He missed her a lot more than he thought he would… Clark was beginning to think that lately he had been missing Lois a lot more than he even _should_ miss her. Sure they were best friends and spent a lot of time together but there was something about the way he had been feeling that Clark could just not wrap his mind around.

Which was why he had called up his two best female friends and invited them out to lunch.

He really needed to get their opinion and see what they thought about what he was feeling.

So Clark opened the door to the deli and walked inside. He stood in the doorway for a moment before spotting Chloe's bright blond hair. She was sitting with Lana at a table near the back and as soon as they locked eyes she waved to him.

"Clark!"

He waved back as he maneuvered around the other tables and eventually made his way to them. Only a few seconds later Clark sat down at the table.

"Clark!" Lana said excited. "Hey!"

"How's it going?" Chloe chimed in a moment later.

Clark shrugged off his khaki jacket so that it lay on the chair then ran a hand through his hair before looking at his friends.

"Oh… I'm okay. How you are ladies?" He asked with a little smile.

Chloe looked at him with a glint in her eye. "We're good."

"Yeah we are fine…" Lana replied and looked at Chloe before returning her gaze to him.

Clark just sat there as both women stared at him with the same expression on their faces. It was a mix of hesitation, and expectation. Also for some reason it made him feel like they pitying him. And since it was coming from both of them at the exact same moment… it was a little unnerving. Okay, it was down right freaky.

He gestured wildly toward them with his hands.

"What?"

Lana shrugged. "Oh nothing… it is just…"

She glanced at Chloe who then smiled at him in a comforting manner. "How are you doing Clark?"

"I'm—"

Lana raised one of her hands, showing off her perfectly manicured fingernails, to stop him from going on. "And before you go and say that you are fine… Chloe and I know that you aren't otherwise you wouldn't have called us. So please be honest."

Chloe gave him a perky smile. "It is the best policy."

Clark chuckled before letting out a deep sigh to release some of the emotions he had in him. They knew him well enough to know when he was lying and that he had not been his usual self as of late. They were also right about the fact that if he were fine then he would not have called them early this morning to invite them to lunch.

"Okay…" Clark started. "Lately… I have been thinking a lot about—um—things. And how those things have been a lot different then I—um—ever thought they would be. I just—just don't know what to do about... um, you know-how to deal with all of these different feelings I have been having lately."

"Feelings?" Lana repeated. "What kind of feelings?"

Clark looked at her then Chloe. "Feelings that… I don't know… I think may have always been there. I just never really noticed."

Chloe all of a sudden leaned forward in her seat and asked. "Oh yeah? Do you mean like…something you could have just buried deep down in you for a very long time for fear that if you voiced them out loud things in your life might change forever? Is that the kind of feelings you are talking about here?"

Clark gave her a weird look and almost started laughing. He pointed toward Chloe as he looked at Lana as if to ask her if she believed the way that Chloe was almost interrogating him. In response all he got was the same intent look in Lana's eyes as Chloe's.

"It is okay Clark. You can be honest, remember?" Lana told him.

It was in that moment rubbed a hand over his face but looked back at the girls. The last couple of weeks had been leading up to this. All of the mixed emotions and confusing feelings about his life, and people in it. If someone had told him even last month that he was about to admit what he was about to admit… he would have told them they are crazy. Completely and totally out of their minds.

He would have said that Lois and he were just friends. But now he knew that it wasn't that simple.

Clark now knew.

"I am in love with Lois."

* * *

End of Chapter 4.

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	5. Chapter 5

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 5

* * *

The airport was just as crowded as usual with people running around at top speed trying desperately to catch their flights.

His last memory of this place was not a very good one considering it was then that he had had to drop off Lois. So that she could fly off to London for a whole two months without him but what made the memory slightly more vivid to him was the simplicity that moment had held for him.

Clark had not wanted to say goodbye to Lois that day but at the time it was just because he was reluctant to be without his best friend and partner for so long. It had made him a little anxious if he were being totally honest.

Being honest had become a trend for him since he had admitted out loud that he was in love with Lois.

Clark looked down at himself dressed in a pair of jeans paired with a black button down shirt and let out a sigh. He was just as anxious as he had been the last time he was at the airport.

But this time it was a good kind of anxious.

A nervous energy coursed through his entire body as he shuffled from one foot to the other. He was sweating a little and he struggled to keep his hands from shaking the flowers he held in his hands.

The red roses sat in his hands and almost mocked him with their promise of a happy reunion with Lois.

Clark was excited to see her again if only because she was his best friend and he had not needed her to go away to know just how much she impacted his life. When he walked into the Planet every day and was not greeted with her 'no nonsense let's get down to business' attitude it had stung. He had missed walking into her apartment to be met with another one of her mishaps on the road to learning how to cook. Something she was determined to do because Lois had wanted to bake him a cake he could actually digest on one of his birthdays.

That was how she put it anyway.

It was things like that that meant the most to Clark because it showed him just how much he meant to her in return. As he stood in the middle of the terminal Clark just hoped that there was the possibility that Lois saw in him more than just a friend.

It had taken him by surprise to really find out in the past two months that Lois was more to him than a co-worker and his best friend. Maybe if she had not been assigned to go to London then he never would have woken up to the fact that somewhere along the way he had fallen completely in love with Lois. But she had left for London and Clark was now well aware of his feelings.

There was no doubt about it that Clark was in love with her.

The sparkle of her eyes when the morning sunlight hit them in the perfect way mesmerized him like nothing else could. Those eyes that could see right through him sometimes and made him feel like he was on fire at others. Maybe that should have been a clue toward his true feelings but he was pretty blind when it came to matters of the heart.

And at the moment said heart continued to pound in his chest and he sighed trying to calm himself down.

Clark did have a fear that was keeping him from just being really happy that Lois was coming back to him in mere minutes. It was that Lois would not return his feelings and that that would create a rift between them. Lois was the most important thing in his life and the last thing he wanted to do was jeopardize that.

But through his many conversations with Chloe and Lana on this particular subject they had assured him that Lois was in the same place as he was. They had said that they had seen it coming for the longest time but knew that neither Clark nor Lois were really aware of how deep their feelings for each other went. So they had always kept their mouths shut hoping both of their friends would open their eyes.

Lana and Chloe had also said that since they were both so stubborn that it would take something drastic to make Lois and he face the fact that they were perfect for each other. The two women were so over the moon that he had told them about his feelings that they had started planning out what would happen when Lois got back from London.

They had convinced him that it would be a good idea to show up at the airport with roses and tell Lois how he felt about her.

That was what he was doing for sure. Clark just wished that he was as confident as they were that it would all work out.

Clark let out another deep breath to calm his nerves and briefly glanced down at his attire one more time as the attendant moved toward the door to open it so that the passengers could exit off the plane.

He closed his eyes briefly and willed himself to calm down before opening his eyes again. And then he saw her, Lois Lane, his best friend and the woman he recently discovered had stolen his heart among their many years of friendship.

Lois stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes hit his. And in that one moment Clark knew what he had to do, he had to tell her that when she looked at him he felt like he had finally found his place in the world.

A peaceful, warm smile spread across her face and he felt himself returning it with a smile of his very own.

"Clark!" She called out.

"Lois," He whispered to himself.

She sprinted from her spot without regard for anyone she bumped into as Lois closed the short distance that existed between the two of them.

Lois was in his arms in seconds.

While the flowers lay forgotten on the floor he held her tightly in his arms. Her hair tickled his face as her face brushed his neck and he smiled more than he had in two months.

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you more." Clark replied.

Lois began to rock in his arms. "I think I got you beat… no way did you—"

In a swift and abrupt move Lois swung back in his arms to look in his face but the movement caught Clark totally off guard. He tried to keep them up right but his efforts were in vain because only seconds later Lois and he tumbled to the floor.

With a dozen people watching Clark lay on the cold tile as a sharp pain ran down his spine and spread through his back muscles. Lois was on top of him and pushed herself up as her hands pressed against his chest.

He opened his eyes to see her looking back down at him with a sheepish smile on her lips.

"You okay?" She asked quietly.

"I think so at least I think I will be with some Tylenol." He choked out. "Could you get off me please?"

"Oh—oh my goodness, yeah sure," Lois stumbled as she jumped up but only got halfway before a man called out her name.

"Lois?"

She turned her head to the side and Clark looked at the man as well.

"Hey!" Lois said as she stood up completely and moved to the side so he could do the same.

Clark managed to sit up as he watched Lois walked over to the man who had called out her name and a sinking feeling came over him.

And as Lois grabbed the man's hand in hers… the feeling only got worse. All Clark could do was sit and watch as she turned back to him and grinned.

"Clark, this is Bradley… my fiancé."

* * *

End of Chapter 5.

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	6. Chapter 6

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 6

* * *

The ambiance in the trendy uptown Metropolis restaurant was a little too much for Chloe, considering she had already planned to spend the night curled up on the couch with Jimmy and a movie.

She ran her hand over her face and looked around at all of the people dressed up so pretty before finally settling her gaze to the right. Jimmy sat next to her in a navy pinstripe suit that really brought out the blue in his eyes.

Chloe turned her body so that their legs became entangled as she put her hand on his as it rested on top of the bar. He looked at her as soon as he felt the contact and gave her a soft smile that always sent tingles up her spine.

"So I figure that we eat quickly here and then maybe… go back to your place for dessert?" Chloe teased as she fingered the lapel of his suit with her other hand.

"That sounds—"

"Nauseating, seriously you two could be a little less adorable." Lana interrupted as she leaned against the bar to look from behind Chloe toward Jimmy.

"I mean, it isn't easy to find happiness like you two have. It would make my life a little easier if you would not flaunt what you've got in my face."

Jimmy laughed as he looked Lana in the eye. "Well we're sorry that you find our happiness so stomach turning but sometimes we just can't help it, you know."

"You could at least try." Lana rebutted and cocked an eyebrow at him.

Chloe turned her face to Lana and smiled a little at her. "Okay Lana, we'll try to turn it down a notch or two."

"That is all I ask. So what do you think Lois gathered us all here for, anyhow?" Lana inquired as she took a sip of her wine glass.

"I think that she will announce that she and Clark have finally, after all of these years of tipping toeing around each other, gotten together."

"God, I hope so." Jimmy chimed in. "It would be like a breath of fresh air for them to wake up to the fact that they are perfect for each other."

Lana nodded as she ran a hand through her long dark brown hair. Chloe watched as a couple of the guys around her had to keep the drool from collecting on their chins as they stared at her longtime friend.

It was amazing that as beautiful as she was that Lana had had so many problems in the dating area of her life. She has guys falling at her feet and not one had been enough yet to really capture her heart. And the young brunette was quickly becoming disheartened over the string of losers that had been in her life as of late and Chloe hoped that she did not let herself get too discouraged.

Lana would find love just as Chloe had.

Chloe looked over at Jimmy and knew that sometimes she did take for granted how lucky she had been to find him so early on in life. Not only was she totally in love with him but he had this amazing ability to make her completely comfortable with herself at the moments when she found it hard not to feel awkward and self-conscious.

"I love you, Jimmy." She whispered before smiling at him.

Jimmy looked at her, startled by her soft confession, but replied. "I love you too, baby."

Chloe could have gotten lost in his eyes but he abruptly straightened his shoulders. He was looking off toward the entrance of the bar and she turned her head to follow his gaze.

She smiled when she noticed the person that had caught Jimmy's attention. Chloe saw her cousin standing there in a beautiful black and white cocktail dress with her hair falling around her shoulders in a mess of curls.

"There she is!" Chloe said as she turned to get off the bar stool.

"Where,"" Lana asked as she turned her head around and searched the crowds for the friend she had been missing for two whole months. "Tell me where do you see her?"

Chloe motioned impatiently as she was already walking toward the front door, "Right there!"

Lana sprang from her seat and joined the young blond in quickly striding toward the front of the restaurant with Jimmy following them close behind. They weaved in and out of the crowds but Chloe grew impatient again as she got closer to her cousin.

"Lois!" She yelled as she came within a foot of her cousin.

"Chloe," Lois yelled in response and then made a beeline for her cousin without a care in the world for any of the people that were in her path.

Chloe was glad for it.

Moments later the two cousins were reunited and grabbed onto one another in a hug. Chloe wrapped her arms around her and smiled as Lois held her tightly to her own body. They swung each other around and were practically jumping from their excitement.

"It is so very good to have you home." Chloe giggled with a huge smile on her face.

"I know. I know. I am so happy to be home—you would have no freaking clue how happy I am to be back in my own apartment and out of that crappy little fixer upper they stuck me with in London!"

"All right, all right, my turn," Lana demanded as she stood beside the cousins with a hand on her hip and fixed Lois with a mock-glare.

Chloe laughed as she pulled back and was able to let Lana get in on some of the welcome home action that was happening. The two women embraced and started chatting excitedly that it gave Chloe the chance to glance around the crowd.

She was surprised to find Jimmy talking to Clark just a few feet away from them. His stance was one that did not give off a very friendly vibe with his arms crossed over his chest. Chloe would have been able to brush off his body language if it had not been for the sadness that was etched across his facial features.

It was certainly not the demeanor that she had been hoping to see.

Chloe managed to catch his eye and mouthed, "What?"

Clark just shrugged his head at her and then mouthed back, "You'll see."

She was not given much time to ponder exactly what was wrong with him because Lois quickly spoke up and dropped the bombshell.

"Everyone I would like you to meet Bradley. He is my fiancé."

Chloe whipped her head around to her cousin, and could not help the bug eyed look of shock that crossed her face as she yelled, "What!"

Lana chimed in a second later with the same shock and surprise. "Excuse me?"

Lois looked between the two and smiled as she took the hand of her fiancé, and stepped toward them a little more.

"I know that the two you don't have hearing problems. You heard what I said just fine."

Chloe saw Lois' hand on the arm of a man and for the first time since her cousin's shocking announcement managed to take a look at who the arm belonged to.

"It is so very nice to meet all of you. Lois talks about you all of the time." He said as he held Lois close to him.

Bradley was about six feet tall and had very warm brown eyes that jumped out among his longer blond locks that were pushed back off a face that had a chiseled jaw and dimples when his lips perked up into a smile. Chloe could appreciate his pretty face but looked upon his body to see that it was very lean and lanky but not very muscular; she thought that Clark could easily take him.

_Clark._

Her eyes immediately sought him out.

Clark was still standing among the crowd next to Jimmy as he watched Lois stand next to Bradley and talked with Lana (who, incidentally, looked as shocked as Chloe felt) about how much she had hated London and being away from the Planet.

"Hey… we should go and get us all a table. That way we can get a drink!" Chloe suggested and then added under her breath. "I could sure use one."

"That sounds great! Then Bradley and I could tell you all about how we met!" Lois agreed before dragging her fiancé over the hostess so that she could get them a table.

Chloe quickly rushed over to Clark's side and was joined by Lana in under a second. They both tried not to give him the sympathetic treatment considering that he hated it. And neither wanted Clark to feel any worse at the moment but both were at a loss for what to do.

"What? What happened?" Lana asked her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, Clark I thought—"Chloe added.

"Man, C.K. this has got to be so hard," Jimmy started but they were all quickly cut off.

Clark put one of his hands up and motioned for the two women to quiet down. He looked at Jimmy then both of the girls before shaking his head.

"I do not want to talk about it."

Chloe's heart broke at the anguish she heard in his deep voice. It broke her heart even more at the thought that something like this had to happen just when one of the two most stubborn people in the world had finally woken up to see what everyone else already knew.

She was about to say something when Clark pushed passed her and Lana to make his way over to where the hostess was pulling Bradley and Lois toward a table. Jimmy started after him as did Lana but Chloe quickly caught her arm.

Lana and Jimmy both gave her a questioning stare but she just waved them off, "Jimmy go on ahead. I need to speak to Lana for a minute."

Jimmy nodded his head but never lost the weird stare he was sending her way before he joined Clark, Lois, and Bradley in the thick of the crowd.

Chloe turned to Lana the second she saw Jimmy disappear from her line of sight and put a look of determination on her face. "We have to do something."

Lana nodded her head in eager agreement. "I know! Do you have any sort of plan?"

Chloe sighed and shook her head. "No, I mean not at the moment I am still so shocked over the whole thing!"

Lana sighed as well, "Me too. I mean they seem happy together but geez, this is not how this was supposed to happen."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "I know, I know but we have to think of something before this gets out of hand. So start thinking, okay?"

Lana smiled with hesitation, "Got it."

Chloe smiled back with just as much hesitation before they both started to walk toward the others that were already sitting at a table in the restaurant. She had no idea what to do but she knew that she had and Lana had to do something.

She figured that she should start by just trying to make it through dinner and then take any other matters as they came at her. It seemed that getting through dinner would be hard enough as she walked closer and closer to the table; Lois had seated herself directly across from Clark. Correction she had seated Bradley and herself directly across from Clark.

Chloe and Lana threw each other a look as they both made their ways to their seats.

This was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

End of Chapter 6.

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	7. Chapter 7

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 7

* * *

The day had quickly turned into one of the worst days Clark had ever had in his life.

There really wasn't anything that jumped to his mind that could possibly top the awful day that he had had today and the kicker was that it wasn't even close to being done.

He sat there at the table in the busy restaurant with his hand gripped around the glass of his scotch. It was his plan to get very drunk tonight. That was the only way he could get through the meal as he sat across from Lois and her fiancé, _Bradley_.

It had been such a shock to his entire system when Lois had introduced the elegant and put together gentleman as her fiancé when they had been in the airport. If he had assembled a list of things that Lois could say to surprise him upon her return to Metropolis, the fact that she was engaged would probably not have even been on that list.

And now he had to sit idly by and listen to their love story as Lois practically gushed to Lana and Chloe about it as they all munched on the appetizers in the middle of the table.

Clark sighed and grabbed a nacho before popping it in his mouth. He tried to focus on chewing and swallowing so that he did not really have to concentrate on the conversation taking place.

"Lois and I met at a bar just around the corner from the building where she worked." Bradley said with his hand on Lois' as it rested on the table. "We were introduced by a co-worker of hers that is a friend of mine."

"Hang on there, buddy, we were introduced?" Lois gave him a glare and a disbelieving glance all wrapped up in one as her pretty eyes moved over Bradley's face.

"What? Love we _were_ introduced or have you forgotten already?" Bradley asked with a teasing smile.

Lois shook her head vigorously and sighed as she looked around at Lana and Chloe before placing both of her hands on the table. Clark knew that it was in an attempt to keep her annoyance in check.

She used it whenever she was interviewing someone for a story and was not getting the answers she wanted but knew that it would do no good for her if she let the interviewee know how frustrated she was with them especially when he was not around to help charm them the way Lois liked. It was a technique that she had had to develop and he had helped with that.

Clark briefly wondered if Bradley knew this little quirk about her.

His attention was put back on the woman his mind had been conquered by the last few weeks as she started in on an explanation and as she did Clark was caught up in the redness of her lips as she spoke.

"We were introduced by Kate who is a woman I work with and by the way, Bradley's ex-girlfriend but that was only after this klutz spilled his drink all over me after he collided into me as I was about to leave to go back to work."

Chloe laughed a little as did Lana but Clark could tell that neither was really interested or happy about this little turn of events. Those two more than anyone were in his corner and had been rooting for him to get his act together longer than even he knew. It was nice in a way to know that he was not the only one shocked and upset by this guy's abrupt arrival into their lives.

Chloe was, however, a little less subtle about her feelings than Lana was at times. She was never one to beat around the bush but maybe it ran in the family considering Lois was like that too, pretty much all of the time.

He loved that about her. Who was he kidding? Clark loved everything about her.

"So this Kate girl, is she pretty? Were you two serious? Were the two of you in love? Tell me that you're not using Lois to get this Kate jealous." Chloe questioned and caused Jimmy to choke on his water a little.

"Chloe," Jimmy scolded as he calmed down a moment later.

She turned her head to look at him and smile. It was a light smile that matched the innocent look she had plastered on her face and with her blond pixie hair cut; Chloe could convincingly feign innocence.

"What?" Chloe asked and turned her face toward Lois who was fighting a smile on her lips as she tried to be mad at her cousin.

"You really shouldn't be asking him things like that." Jimmy said and smiled a little at Bradley. "She can be a little, overprotective of her cousin, forgive her."

He was sitting next to Lois with an expression on his face that indicated to Clark that he was a little put off by Chloe's questions.

Clark sat up a little straighter. He was grateful to his friend because for the first time since they had met at the airport this guy looked like he had just realized he had bitten off more than he could chew.

Good.

He smirked and he decided for the first time to join in. "I think it is a fair question, actually."

Lois turned her head toward him sharply and furrowed her eyebrows at him with a slight frown playing on the red lips he had been enraptured by moments earlier.

Clark thought that he should care that he was the one that had upset her slightly but any time her focus was solely on him was never a bad thing. So he could hardly feel bad about it at all.

"Clark." Lois scolded him in the same way that Jimmy had Chloe.

Lana sighed a little and spoke a second later. "Lois we all love you so much and you can't honestly expect us to not ask Bradley tough questions considering the fact that you plan to marry him after only just meeting him."

He heard her every word but was unable to break his gaze from Lois' eyes. Clark tried to suppress the tingling sensations that ran through his entire body as she stared at him. He wanted to tell her how he felt, wanted to tell her how he had woken up after all of this time to see that she was the only person in the world meant for him.

Clark knew, though, that it was hard to do that when another guy had his hand resting possessively on the back of her chair because they were very much a couple. So he kept his mouth shut but he found it hard to keep his conflicting emotions out of his blue eyes.

Lois seemed just as caught up in the gaze as he was. Unlike him there were no wild emotions in her brown depths but there was a calm that seemed to settle over her entire body for the first time all night as he stared at her.

He wasn't sure what to make of that. Clark was left no time to ponder anything as Lana's words finally seemed to settle upon Lois. She looked at the petite brunette but gave her a smile instead of being offended which would usually have been her reaction to such words from anyone.

Lois did not like anyone looking out for Lois but herself.

"I get it, you guys. You are looking out for me and I know I would do the same for you but at this moment in time can't we just focus on the fact that I am no longer sitting on that stupid, crowded plane with all of the crying babies? That alone is reason enough to start celebrating!" Lois joked and raised her wine glass into the air.

"Here, here!" Jimmy joined in and laughed.

"See Jimmy's got the spirit. I always knew I liked you for a reason." Lois teased and winked at him.

Jimmy smiled more, "I always thought the reason you liked me was because I am willing to take pictures for your stories when no other photographer at the Planet has the guts to follow into the trenches when you are on the hunt for a scoop… which usually lands us in some kind of danger which leads us to the hospital or on a few occasions, in jail."

Lois shrugged. "Well there's that."

Clark laughed despite his sour mood because there was so much truth in those words. While the two of them were writing partners and more than likely teamed up for most of their pieces, Jimmy was the photographer who was usually right behind Lois when she would dive head first into something she shouldn't. And they had been like that for longer than Clark had been at the paper.

So it gave Jimmy and Lois a bond that was special just to them because they had worked their way up the Daily Planet ladder side by side and helped each other out along the way.

Clark smiled at Jimmy then turned his attention back to the conversation. Chloe seemed no more at ease then when she had asked those questions about Kate and sort of broke the ice as to how uncomfortable they all were deep down.

He caught her eye and she sent him a sympathetic look which he hated but knew that he was probably in a very pitiful state at the moment. Clark was sitting at a table with the woman he had known for years, just recently discovered he was in love with, and there she was sitting next to her fiancé. He was starting to feel sorry himself, too.

But apparently that was not enough because Lois dropped another bomb.

"Besides you all have time to get to know Bradley before the wedding. Granted it is not a lot of time but still… doable." Lois smiled and looked at the guy sitting next to her who returned her smile in kind.

While the couple seemed to be lost in a loving moment the rest of the table's occupants furrowed their eyebrows and wore identical expressions of confusion.

Lana was the one that spoke up first, "What do you mean 'not a lot of time' Lois?"

Bradley answered the question but never tore his eyes away from Lois.

"Lois and I have decided to get married in Scotland, where my family is from, and we decided to not waste a lot of time. We'll be married in three weeks' time."

"What," Chloe shrieked.

Lois glanced her way as did many other patrons of the restaurant. People in the surrounding tables sent the blond woman various looks of annoyance but none of them were paid any mind as Clark's heart dropped to his stomach.

"Three weeks?" Clark whispered but was unsure it had been heard by anyone.

Lois just smiled more as she looked at her cousin. "We know it is soon but we want to just get married—I don't know how to even explain it."

"Well Lois don't you think this is a little, abnormal?" Lana questioned. "I mean most people date for a couple of years _then_ get married. They don't usually meet someone and just run down the aisle, I mean unless you are drunk in Vegas or something like that."

Lois shrugged. "I have never done anything the way most people do them. You have to give me that."

"But still… Lois this is so soon." Chloe said with her eyebrows still hidden in her hairline due to the shock.

"Look this is the way it is going to happen. Chloe you can be happy for me, serve as my maid of honor or sit by the sidelines and sulk because it is all happening too soon. The choice is up to you."

"You want me to be the maid of honor?" Chloe asked stunned once again, "Really?"

"Who else is gonna be my maid of honor? You're the person I am closest to in the world." Lois smiled but Lana spoke up quickly and broke the seemingly happy moment between the cousins.

"Well what about Clark?" Lana asked and motioned toward him.

Clark was ripped from his stunned silence as things went on around him and looked at Lana as if she had spontaneously grown a second head.

"What about Clark?" Clark asked with trepidation but Lana smiled at him sweetly and it really made Clark feel like he was not going to like what she had to say.

"Well you and Clark are the best of friends. You two spend the most time together out of anyone here… even these two here and they are attached at the hip." She nudged Chloe and was referring to her and Jimmy. "So if Clark is the one you are actually, you know _technically_, the person you are closest to in the world shouldn't he be the one involved in the wedding?"

Lois looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Lana said with a smile knowing that she was getting through to the hardheaded brunette sitting across from her, "He can be your maid of honor!"

He swore he could feel his eyes jump out of his skull at the words. "WHAT!"

For the second time that night people around the table sent the group looks of annoyance but Clark's voice carried further then Chloe's had and more people heard him yell out in shock and surprise.

Jimmy, and Chloe, and Bradley all looked just as shocked as Clark did at Lana's suggestion but the one person that he had wanted to be shocked and slightly put off, wasn't and that was not a good sign for Clark.

Lois smiled. "You know what… I think that is actually a perfect idea."

Clark just sank in his chair. This day was just getting worse and worse. What more could go wrong? He shook his head and the thoughts went out of his head because he knew that if he tempted fate anymore… this day could probably get worse.

It sucked.

* * *

End of Chapter 7.

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	8. Chapter 8

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 8

* * *

Clark pulled open the refrigerator door, and then peered inside. He found what he wanted within a second before reaching in and grabbing a beer bottle before shutting the door behind him.

"So now they've got me as the maid of honor." Clark stated as he twisted off the cap to the bottle and tossed it onto the counter.

"Oh my god," Oliver said as he sat lounged out on the couch.

The laughter immediately filled the spacious room that was Oliver's modern penthouse apartment in one of the high rise buildings that occupied downtown Metropolis.

Clark and the young billionaire had been friends for a long time so because of that Ollie was one of his closest confidants.

Clark hung his head as he walked back to the living room with the beer in his hand.

The cool condensation dripped down his fingers and he enjoyed the tiny relief it brought him. Things could not be weirder for him at the moment so any kind of break was seen by Clark as a very good thing.

He plopped down next to Oliver who was still shaking with laughter. Apparently it was his friends' new found hobby to make his life a living hell or laugh at him afterwards.

It was beginning to make Clark question the company he surrounded himself in every day.

Who needs people like this?

"It is _not_ funny, man. I am maid of honor at Lois' wedding, that by the way, is happening in three very short weeks." Clark said sternly and glared at his friend.

The last statement made Oliver sober up a bit and the smile dropped off of his handsome features and he crinkled his nose a little, "Three weeks?"

"Yup," Clark said as he turned his attention back to the big flat screen television that took up most of the space on the wall opposite the couch.

"That is just so soon." Oliver said. "That is just so un-Lois Lane. What is she thinking?"

Clark looked at him from the corner of his eye. "I know but she chalks it up to the fact that she does nothing in the conventional way so getting married should not be any different."

Oliver shook his head once and took a sip out his own beer before he asked, "So what are you going to do about it?"

Clark furrowed his eyebrows, "What do you mean, 'what I am going to do'?"

Oliver sat up a little on the couch before taking his legs off the coffee table in front of them and placing his elbows on his knees before looking seriously at Clark and he tried to give him a small smile.

"You love her. You have always loved her, and that is not going to change but as it stands right now she is going to get married in three weeks, like you said three _short_ weeks, and then that will be the end of it. No more Lois and Clark. No nothing."

Clark sat up as well and looked Oliver in the eye, "Dude she isn't moving. She isn't dying,it won't be the end of anything."

As the words left Clark's mouth he told himself that they were true. Even if she was getting married that it would not be the end to the friendship that he held so dear.

If he concentrated hard enough he could almost believe that that was true.

Ollie had to be the bearer of bad news though and reality came crashing back down on him.

"How can you be so sure that this won't be the end of anything?" Oliver sighed. "Clark there is no way you can be sure of that unless—"

His sentence was caught off by the sound of the doorbell ringing through the apartment. Oliver looked over his shoulder at the door then rose from his spot on the couch. It only took him a few seconds to reach the door before he called out to Clark.

"Hey man, your fellow bridesmaids are here." Oliver grinned before opening up the door to reveal Chloe and Lana on the other side.

Clark hung his head for a second, and felt the dread wash over him at the sight of the two women that had landed him in the situation he was currently in. It was incredible that they had the nerve to show up at his friend's house since they were completely and totally unwelcome.

At least by him but apparently Oliver was not feeling as unkind as Clark was.

"Come on in ladies." Oliver gestured as he opened the door wider for Chloe and Lana to step inside of his apartment.

"Well thanks Ollie." Chloe smiled sweetly as she walked in and Lana followed suit.

"Yeah thanks so much." Lana commented before Oliver closed the door behind them and they all joined Clark on the couch as he sat staring at the game on the television.

He watched as his team made a break for the end-zone and kept his eyes trained on the running back as he got closer and closer to his destination and those six points that a touchdown would earn them.

Clark thought that if he just focused on the game that maybe Chloe and Lana would take the hint. He had not even uttered a greeting when they walked so he hoped that they could tell he was not in the mood to see either of them. He hoped that they would get the message that they were on his list and that he was more than a little angry with them especially Lana considering she came up with the idea in the first place.

Maybe if he wished hard enough they would simply disappear.

His wish did not come true at all.

Chloe sat next to Lana on the couch as they both kept their eyes on Clark. The young women both held identical expressions on their faces and it gave him the indication that they could wait him out if that was his plan and that they were not going anywhere until after they talked and had had their say.

Clark wanted to prove that he was stronger and more patient than they were. He had a mind set to prove that as long as he had his eyes focused on the television that they could do whatever they wanted without bothering him. The only problem with that was that he knew that Lana and Chloe were determined to say something to them. He could guess it was a very specific something that pertained to a very specific brunette. Also, he knew that if they weren't able to wear down his patience either one or both of them would throw him their puppy dog eyes, tug at his heart strings, and the innate sense in him that made him unable to deny them anything which would make him give in almost instantly.

Oliver was not helping matters any either.

He was on the other side of him with an unusually smug grin on his face as he also waited for one of the two women or Clark to speak up but it was more the look that made him look like he was a waiting for an exciting play to begin.

Couldn't any of his friends give him a break?

Ultimately, Clark gave in simply because he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

"What do you want?"

Clark looked at the two women out of the corner of his eye and saw both of them smile wide at his words that made him feel trepidation once again.

"Well we want to talk to you about your MOH duties." Lana said and reached into the tote bag she had at her feet as she pulled out a big black binder.

"Excuse me but what is 'moe'?" Oliver asked as he set his beer on the coffee table.

"Maid of honor, m, o, h," Chloe answered breezily as she took off her jacket and sat closer to Lana.

"Now first of all we have to plan her bridal shower—" Lana started.

"Wait a second, here. I am not going to be her maid of honor. I am not going to do this." Clark said with his most serious tone.

Clark could not convey how much he did not want to do this. He could not begin to convey how much he just would not be able to do this. It was just a fact that he wouldn't be able to stand by Lois as she planned her wedding to another man and he was wondering why Chloe and Lana were so gung-ho to put him through that kind of pain.

Wasn't it enough that he would have to watch her get married, at all?

"Clark you need to do this." Chloe sighed. "This is the only way."

Clark shook his head, "The only way to do what?"

Lana smiled at him with such happiness it made her sparkle, "To sabotage the wedding, idiot."

Clark stood up with shock. "Excuse me? You want me to sabotage her wedding? How-I mean huh? Sabotage the wedding! Are you two out of your _minds_? This is your cousin, Chloe! And your best friend Lana! This is Lois!"

Lana stood up too and glared at him. "I know this is my best friend. I know that this is Lois and I know that the only person she will be happy spending the rest of her life with is you! So I know that this is extreme and may cause her pain but she has to know how you feel. She needs to know! So we may go out of our way a little to get things done but I can't think of anything else to do! You love her and she loves you, this is the only way that you two can be together!"

She might as well have punched him in the stomach because that is how much her words had hurt him. From the moment he had discovered how much he cared about Lois and how those feelings went beyond friendship Clark had wanted to tell her that exact same thing. They could be happy together for the rest of their lives if she would give him a chance.

But the fact that she and Bradley had fallen so hard for each other in such a small amount of time just proved that Lois did not feel for Clark the way he felt for her.

"I wish that that were true." He whispered.

Lana looked at Chloe before raising her hands in a mock surrender. "You try."

Chloe stood up as Lana sat back down and took one of Clark's hands. He looked down into her eyes and saw the soft look of love that she was giving him but it wasn't enough to make him feel better.

"Clark I know that this is not the best of situations." Chloe started.

"You got that right." Clark quipped.

"Let me finish. This may not be the best of situations but the truth is that the time is starting to dwindle. Lana and I and Jimmy and Oliver have known for years that the two of you are perfect for each other but now we have to go to extreme measures to find a way for the two of you to really see what we see."

Clark looked over at Oliver and the blond man shrugged. "I think they have the right idea, man. You need to break up this wedding, and steal the bride. The best way to do that is from the inside."

He shook his head, "I can't do that—it would only hurt when—"

Clark was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that it was Lois on the caller identification, he sighed.

"Hey, what's up?" Clark greeted as he put the phone up to his ear.

"Hey there farmboy," Lois replied, "I have a bone to pick with you mister."

Clark smiled. "What could I have done wrong? You only got back last night!"

"Exactly my point, I have been back for only eighteen hours and you decide that now is the time to hang out with Ollie?" Lois said. "No. I will be having none of that. You and I are spending some time together. Meet me at our pizza place for a slice and then we can head back to your place and rent _The Terminator_."

"Lois we have seen that movie a million times! Can't we watch something else?" Clark smiled and his heart fluttered in his chest.

He loved that she had called him up and dictated that they spend time together. It wasn't like he would complain about spending time with the woman he loved unless Bradley is going to be there.

"Lois would it just be the two of us or is Bradley going to be there too?" Clark asked with fear of the answer.

"No just the two of us." She replied. "Not get your butt moving and meet me there in a half hour and you better be packing one cyborg from the future and a pretty kickass boy with one sawed off shotgun sent back to save Sarah Connor or you will be in trouble."

"Okay." Clark smiled and shut the phone before putting back in his pocket.

As he looked around at the faces of his friends and the knowing smiles they all had on their lips he felt his heart leap into his throat but his body had a little anxiousness in it. He knew that there was no getting out of this.

Lois was an amazing woman and he would fight like hell to make sure that she knew how felt about her before she married someone else. If he did not at least fight for her or give it his best effort he would be left wondering what would have or could have happened for the rest of his life.

He looked at Lana and Chloe with a small smile.

"I'm in."

* * *

End of Chapter 8.

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	9. Chapter 9

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 9

* * *

Lana did not want to think of herself as a manipulative person and she certainly never wanted to think that she could go so out of her way to cause another person any sort of hurt feelings but when it came down to the hard truth of the matter that is what was happening.

Chloe and she were being extremely manipulative and if things went according to their plans then people were going to get hurt.

The surprising part to Lana was that she really had no qualms with the fact that someone would be hurt by the actions she and one of her closest friends had planned for the next couple of weeks. It was not something that she was particularly happy about, mind you but Lana was willing to do it because she knew it needed to be done.

Chloe and she were the only two people that had the guts to step up to the plate.

It had also surprised her that Clark had just been so accepting of the apparent defeat that the arrival of Bradley had dealt him. She had never known him to be a quitter and when it came to something as important as his happiness she was sure he would have been gung-ho about doing anything to correct matters. Of course Lana had to take into account that when it came to anything related to emotions Clark's gut reaction was to brood.

She had watched him all through dinner the night that Lois had returned home from London. Lana had seen every flicker of hurt, agony, and heartache that had passed over his face when Lois and Bradley had been retelling the tale of their romance. It had been in that moment that she had known that at the first chance she got to change things even a little then she would.

She knew that Clark was unhappy having to serve as the maid of honor, of all things, as Lois prepared to marry another man but when she had made the suggestion, a plan had already been forming inside her mind. Lana truly believed that the best way to break up the seemingly happy couple was to put Clark smack dab in the middle of it all.

If Clark wasn't willing to do something to stop this wedding then Lana had decided that she sure as hell would.

Chloe had been right there with her when she had let the blonde in on her ideas and then it had all taken off from there. She and Chloe had determined that trying to sabotage the wedding between Bradley and Lois was something they would do regardless of Clark's knowledge or participation.

But now he was on their side and more ready to know about any plans they had to make sure Lois would never ever be saying 'I do' to anyone but Clark. At least that is the way Chloe and she saw things working out but neither felt that Clark was ready to handle their dreams over possible nuptials between the reporters given how stressed out he already was.

Lana looked up into the reflection of her face that stared at her from the blackness of her kitchen window. She moved her fingers to her ebony locks and pushed them out of her face before she sighed a little.

What she and Chloe had planned may not have been exactly nice or even right but their time was running out and they were grasping at any straws they could wrap their fingers around.

The chatter in the room next to her had reached a dull roar so she picked up the platter that sat on the counter next to her and walked into her small but cozy living room. The whole gang was gathered around the coffee table in various positions.

"A little something to hold us over before the food arrives." She smiled at Oliver as she sat down next to him on the floor before placing the snacks in front of the group. In the blink of an eye the food was torn apart by everyone there.

"Hey! Hey! Watch out for my fingers, you guys." Lana whined but grabbed a strawberry for her own mouth and popped it inside.

"Sorry princess but we are starving here!" Lois quipped but gave her friend a soft smile anyway.

"Yeah, that freaking food is taking forever. How long ago did we order it?" Jimmy added.

"It seems like we orders it _days_ ago we have been waiting so long." Clark said before getting up and walking towards the entryway of the small hall in the front of the apartment.

"Smallville, where do you think you are going?" Lois asked abruptly and her accusing tone caused everyone in the room to pause.

Clark stopped and looked over his shoulder at the brunette sitting on the couch he had just vacated. His eyebrows furrowed and his blue eyes twinkled underneath the soft lights coming from above him. He threw her an incredulous look.

"I was going to go call the place to ask them where the heck our food is." He said slowly as if trying to figure out what he had done wrong.

And Lana knew from the look that was fixed on Lois' features that Clark had done something wrong. She had one eyebrow cocked in disbelief with her lips pursed slightly before she tilted her head to the side. And the entire room continued to watch the exchange between them unfold as if it were the most interesting thing ever.

Considering that four out of the six people in the room were so intent on seeing the two reporters get together they were trying to break up a wedding, this really _was_ the most interesting thing ever.

"So you are planning on going to tell someone off without me?" Lois asked but gave Clark no chance to answer before she jumped off the couch.

Lois practically bounced toward the front hallway where the phone was but as she passed Clark she smacked him on the shoulder in a way that looked like it had actually hurt him a little.

"I have been gone far too long. You can't do anything without me right by your side let alone tell off some behind-the-counter girlie about late food and unacceptable service. Shame on you, farmboy," She called over her shoulder.

Clark just smiled as he and Lois disappeared around the corner as they entered the front hall to call to check on where their food was.

"How can she not see it?" Lana whispered. Even from her spot on the floor she could see the way Clark swaggered out of the room after her simply because of the affect her words had had on him.

"It boggles the mind how neither of them were able to pick up on it for so many years." Ollie whispered back. "And just when one of them wakes up to what is really there between them, this guy shows up to throw a wrench in things."

Lana turned her head to the side a little and looked at Oliver. He gave her a small smile that had a touch of sadness that she was sure was reflected back at him when she pulled the corner of her mouth up into a smirk.

She turned back to the food in front of her and grabbed another strawberry before she started to look at some of the papers scattered about the apartment. The reason they had gathered at her place tonight was because Lois had wanted to get started on the wedding arrangements. Lois had called them all up only a few hours earlier and had demanded that any prior plans they had had for that evening be cancelled so that they could meet for a sit down session about the wedding plans.

Lana reached for a file that was on the floor next to Chloe's shoes. She moved back a little and rested the file on her legs.

"What is Dalhousie Castle?" She asked.

"That my little pink princess is where I am getting married in a little under three weeks." Lois said as she sauntered back into the living room with Clark trailing behind. On his face was the same sad expression of heartache that had been on his face at dinner a few nights ago. It may not have been as pronounced as it had been then but it was still there when one really looked for it.

She looked back down at the picture of the gorgeous castle that was to be the site of the wedding between Lois and Bradley. If Chloe and she were unable to stop the wedding then Clark would wear that heartbroken expression on his face for the rest of their lives.

That was just unacceptable to Lana. She glanced up at Chloe as she was cuddled in the arms of Jimmy and saw that Chloe seemed to share her ideas.

"Anyway the food should be here in a few minutes. I also made it very clear that we will no longer be giving them our business due to their complete and total lack of competency when it comes to their services promised. And if they do not make it up to us in some way that a not so nice review of their establishment would show up in the Planet's weekend edition." Lois finished as she sat down on the couch and curled into a comfy position next to her cousin.

"A little much, don't ya think?" Jimmy questioned.

"I don't think so. The wait is killing me, I am so freaking hungry." Oliver replied. "It is like I am wasting away."

Lois threw him a glare and scoffed at him. "Sure you are. You know sometimes I think you are a lot more spoiled than you let on."

"Of course he is, he is a billionaire after all. There is no way in the world that he couldn't be spoiled with all of the money he has got." Clark added in as he rounded the coffee table and sat down on the other side of Oliver.

"Yeah I was reading just the other day that you had more than twelve cars in your garage here in Metropolis alone. That does not include the many other properties you own that have car garages too." Jimmy smiled smugly.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. It is always "Beat up on the Billionaire" when we all hang out. Best game ever for you, huh?" Oliver retorted as he held up in hands in mock surrender.

"Hey if we don't make fun of you then who else would?" Lois questioned with a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed over her chest.

"No one would tease me and that would be just fine by me." Oliver answered even though it was pretty well known that the young man was at his most comfortable among this group of people. With the success that some of them were starting to have in their careers it was nice to have this one group of people that kept them all fairly level headed individuals. It was really nice and something that all of them treasured.

Lois flipped some of her long brown hair over her shoulder as she sat closer to the edge of the couch before picking up some papers from the table.

"So back to this castle thing, it is a huge old thirteenth century castle and it is outside of the town called Edinburgh. This is where the wedding is going to be."

"Uh, I have a question Lois. How do you honestly think you are going to be able to book a wedding in this castle with only under three weeks' notice?" Lana asked. A small part of her mind was hoping that if they were unable to get this particular location then the wedding would be pushed back to better accommodate their plans.

That would work out perfectly considering that the more time Lana and Chloe had then the chances they could successfully sabotage the wedding increased tenfold.

Unfortunately, that would not be happening.

"Well that is what I was wondering too but apparently Bradley's parents are like bigwigs in Scotland so they could easily pull a few strings and make this castle available. They are already on it back in Dublin, in fact."

Lana plastered a fake smile on her lips, "Perfect. What kind of bigwigs? Do you know?"

Lois pursed her lips. "I think that they are some sort of royalty or related to royalty or something like that. Actually I really couldn't care less so I never bothered to ask."

Jimmy choked back some water he had been sipping on, "What this dude is like… a prince?"

Lois rolled her eyes, "No, of course he is not a prince. There is no way I would marry a prince of any kind. Can you all imagine 'Princess Lois Lane'? I think not."

"But he is still some kind of royalty?" Chloe asked with her eyebrows raised in shock as she looked at Clark who sat opposite her and Lana followed her line of sight.

Luckily for both women Clark seemed unfazed by this latest development, and Lana hoped that it meant his resolve was beginning to strengthen. If Bradley being royalty could not make Clark's confidence waver then not much else would.

That was very good for the plans.

Lois nodded before starting in on some more details of the wedding arrangements. "So the castle is not something we have to worry about much. I am planning on meeting with the minister tomorrow morning. Bradley and I are supposed to go."

"Have you talked to him about it yet?" Lana asked trying to formulate some sort of a plan as she pulled her head out of her previous thoughts. Nothing was really popping up in her mind as of yet.

"Yeah, he is going to get out of work and meet me at the church where we can meet with this man who actually married my parents. That is kind of why I have my heart set on him being the one to do the wedding." She added quietly.

Lana smiled a little at the sentimental side of Lois that sometimes revealed itself. It was always so nice to see because it just made her all the more wonderful that on occasion she could let down her guard around her closest friends.

She was about to comment on this but something caught her attention about her friend's statement. Maybe the perfect opportunity had just presented itself.

"Did you say that you are going to meet Bradley at the church?" Lana asked and sneaked a look at Chloe.

"Yeah, why?" Lois questioned with her nose buried in some other file.

Lana was about to speak but it seemed that her blonde female friend had picked up on her subtle signal and was amazingly in tune with her as to what exactly could be capitalized on with this little tidbit of information.

"It is just that Bradley is brand new to Metropolis and does not know his way around. This is the only time that you two can meet up with the minister. Do you really want to risk Bradley getting lost and missing the meeting?" Chloe asked.

"Maybe you should pick him up at his office and take him there." Lana added.

"I guess you are right." Lois sighed and ran a hand through her brown locks, "But the thing is that I cannot make sure he gets there by picking him because Clark and I have an interview early in the morning."

"We can do it then." Lana suggested and smiled sweetly. Chloe and she had known about that interview in the morning which is exactly why they had brought up the issue at all.

"Okay. That sounds perfect actually. You should pick him up at the office around nine in the morning and Clark and I will meet you all at the church by nine thirty."

At that second there was a knock at the door and a round of praise broke out as they all realized their food had finally arrived.

Lois, Clark, and Oliver made their way toward the door to get the food as Jimmy made his way to the kitchen to get the plates and silverware. That left Chloe and Lana all alone in the living room.

Lana smiled wickedly up at her friend. "Tell me that you are thinking the same thing that I am thinking."

"I am thinking that Bradley may not make it to this meeting with the minister, you?" Chloe said with a raised eyebrow.

"Ditto," Lana smiled before they both got up and joined their companions in the kitchen around the small dinner table.

Lana was plagued again by guilty thoughts about what their plans would do to Bradley but as she saw Clark and Lois pick out of each other's Chinese cartons what food they liked and did not like, Lana knew that in the end that it would all be worth it.

Lois and Clark deserved the chance to explore a relationship together. And come hell, high water, or one royal fiancé they were gonna get that chance.

* * *

End of Chapter 9.

Please Review.


	10. Chapter 10

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 10

* * *

"What time is it?" Chloe asked as she nervously tapped her high heel against the tiled floor. She looked at Lana standing next to her and realized that the young brunette was getting annoyed with her.

The look of annoyance in Lana's brown eyes was very hard to miss.

"It is about eight fifty three which is only a minute and a half later than the last time you asked me in case you want to keep track yourself." Lana sighed and adjusted the coffee carrying case from her left hand to her right hand.

Chloe smiled sheepishly, "Honey, I am sorry but I just want things to go well. What happens to our plans if he decided to find the church on his own, huh?"

Lana looked her squarely in the eye. "I know for a fact that he did not do anything like that."

Chloe tilted her head with an incredulous expression on her face and a hand on her hip. "How do you know that?"

She nodded her head in the direction of the elevator banks.

"Bradley is coming this way right now."

Chloe turned her head and relief flooded her as she saw her cousin's fiancé heading toward them and she smiled before waving at him. Bradley waved back as he sauntered toward them with his suit jacket slung over his shoulder.

Chloe had to admit that he was a really good looking man with his blond hair and lean build but when one compared him side by side with Clark, her friend was the obvious winner.

Even if she was bias does not change that fact.

He finally came to stand before the two young women and gave them a great vivacious smile.

"Good morning ladies." Bradley greeted. "I've been told that you two are going to help me stay on course as we head to the church this morning."

"Apparently, how are you this morning Bradley?" Chloe replied. "I hope that your meetings went fine."

Bradley rolled his eyes a little, "as fine as could be expected this early in the morning. If they could I think some of those men upstairs would love to start at daybreak."

Lana smiled at him. "I say more power to them if that is their choice because I sure as hell wouldn't be joining them. You must be very busy during your stay here in Metropolis."

He nodded and pointed toward the coffee in her hand, "Is one of those for me?"

Lana offered her hand out to them and Bradley took one of the cups off of the tray as Chloe joined him grabbed one and Lana took the last one.

Chloe sighed. "So if you are so busy then how is it that you and Lois find any time to spend together? Plus, the fact that Lois usually spends all of her time with Clark."

Bradley simply smiled in return and missed the hint that may have let him in on why both women were really there waiting for them with coffee. "Oh we make it work somehow. When people are in love the rest of it just kind of works itself out."

Chloe plastered a fake smile on her face but inside was actually hoping that there was some truth in his words. However, Bradley was speaking in terms of him and Lois but she sincerely hoped that things would work out for Lois and Clark.

They were more in love than either of them could imagine it was that they just didn't know it yet. Well, Clark did but Lois didn't so it was time to start changing that.

And unfortunately for him, Bradley was playing right into their plans they had all laid out for that morning and it was the first real step in breaking up the wedding.

"Well, I supposed we should get a move on it because I would hate to be late for this meeting with the minister." Bradley commented and brought the coffee cup to his lips.

Chloe glanced over at Lana from the corner of her eye and gave her a sly smirk. Lana stepped forward and stood a little closer to her cousin's fiancé.

"Actually, we had other plans today." Lana said in a calm and even manner.

Bradley furrowed his eyebrows as he lowered his drink. "Other plans? Did something happen with the meeting? Was it cancelled?"

Chloe shook her head and sweetly smiled. "No but you see we thought that while Lois is at the church talking to the minister we could help you pick out her traditional bride's gift."

A look of realization hit him and washed over his facial features before he began to shake his head and sighed. "I can't believe I forgot about that."

"It is important and it is tradition." Lana said and her eyes twinkled as she tried to sway him in their favor.

Bradley seemed hesitant and gave both women a weary stare. "I am not sure about this, ladies. I know this meeting with the minister is very important to Lois. I would hate to disappoint her so dearly before we are even married. Can't we do this some other time?"

Chloe shook her head. "No this is the only time we can get this done without anyone really knowing what we are up to."

Lana shook her head at him in dismal of his concern too. "Lois is fine on her own with the minister besides she has Clark with her so you don't have to worry about anything going wrong there. They are a great team. Plus, this is the only moment that we can steal to help you find her the best possible bride's gift."

Bradley still looked unconvinced by the brunette's subtle prodding so Chloe decided to jump in with what she hoped would seal the deal.

"But I guess if you think you can handle getting the gift on your own even given how picky Lois is then whatever. We just thought you could use a little help so we saw an opportunity and took it but if you feel confident that you will be able to find that _one_ special gift that Lois will absolutely adore then we should go to the meeting with the minister. And we better hurry or we'll be late."

Chloe turned on her heel, grabbed a confused Lana by the elbow almost spilling both their coffees and started heading toward the building's revolving doors. They had only gotten a few feet away when Bradley called out to them.

"Wait!"

Chloe smirked when she heard his voice and it was then that she knew they had him. Any doubt that their plan would not be successful faded from her mind.

They both turned to see him jogging to catch up to them. He stood in front of them and looked up down into the faces of the two seemingly innocent and helpful friends of his future wife.

Bradley ran a hand through his sandy blonde locks and pushed them off his forehead before he let out a breath of the tension in his body that was evident to both women.

"How picky is Lois when it comes to gifts?" Bradley asked, "I mean I haven't ever gotten her a present before. I sure don't want to screw up the first thing I ever get her as a gift especially right before our wedding."

"Well it's not that she isn't grateful for the time and money people spend on her when they do get her presents it's just that she is the kind of woman that knows exactly what she wants." Chloe started.

"And she isn't afraid to tell someone whether or not she truly loves the gift or if it is something she will actually enjoy and use. In the first few years of our friendship I used to strike out every time I had to buy her a present. My luck has since improved through our years of friendship and how thoroughly we know each other now." Lana smiled sweetly again.

"But don't worry. You're the person that she is going to spend the rest of her life with so I would assume that you of all people could come up with the perfect present to get her." Chloe insisted with a nod of her head to show her enthusiasm.

They turned to leave again but were instantly halted by Bradley.

"Actually, I think maybe we should go shopping instead. I really would hate to mess this up since it is so important to me to get it right."

Chloe and Lana smiled at each other mischievously before turning around to face him one last time.

"Great."

"Fantastic, Bradley."

Bradley smiled and then headed to the doors himself but Lana put a hand to his chest to stop him from going very far.

"Before we do this we need to get one thing absolutely clear." She said with a serious tone of voice and stern look on her face.

"Lois can't know that we went shopping today under _any_ circumstances." Chloe completed and once again the confused expression returned to Bradley's eyes.

"What? Why?" He questioned.

"Well because we are going shopping for a gift for her. Gifts are generally supposed to be surprises so we can't let her know what we were doing. Lois has insatiable curiosity and will spend the next few weeks trying to get it out of you what is you got her or where you hid the present or any kind of hint at all."

"And she won't let up until you spill the beans then all of this hard work we will put into finding a great gift for her will be for nothing. So you can't tell her anything."

Bradley seemed to agree at first but then a panicked look came across his face. "What happens when she asks me why I missed the meeting?"

"You leave that part up to us, okay?" Chloe comforted him. "And if she asks just change the subject quickly. Never say a word of this, got it?"

Bradley nodded but still had an unsure look on his face. Lana smiled before she clapped her hands together in a giddy fashion.

"Okay!" Lana said before hooking her arm in Bradley's before leading him out of the lobby. "Let's go shopping!"

Chloe watched them for a moment more. When they both glanced back at her she waved them forward, "I think I will just use the bathroom before we get going."

"Okay, meet you on the street corner." Lana called out to her then both she and Bradley disappeared through the revolving doors into the sea of people occupying the Metropolis city streets.

As soon as they were out of sight Chloe reached into her purse to pull out her cell phone. She pressed one of her speed dial buttons and held the phone to her ear. Not two rings into the call the person on the other end answered.

"Lois? It's me, Chloe. Yeah, Bradley blew us off. He said his meeting was more important to him at the moment before rushing back upstairs to his offices. I am really sorry about this Lois. Listen I can't talk much right now but I will call you later, cos. Bye."

Chloe ended the call and smiled down at her phone. Things were working out perfectly.

~x~

"Argh," Lois screamed out as she snapped her cell phone shut. She glared down at the tiny little thing and seriously fought the urge to throw it across the room into the stone wall of the church.

"What's the matter?" Clark asked with concern and worry abundantly evident etched into his voice and also stared back at her in his glorious blue depths as she turned to face him.

She ran a hand through her long brown hair in a frustrated gesture before answering his earlier question. "Bradley isn't coming. Apparently his meeting is more important than meeting Minister Collins."

Clark shook his head a little, "Wait, what? He didn't show up to meet Chloe and Lana?"

Lois shook her head. "No he did meet them but only long enough to tell them that he had to rush back up his office instead of coming to the church. Chloe said his words were, 'His meeting was more important to him at the moment' and she had to apologize to me for it like it was her fault or something."

Clark smiled at her for a moment and was about to open his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off by Lois continuing her rant of comments against her beloved fiancé.

"Just wait until I get my hands on him. The nerve of that guy! Who does he think he is to decide that talking to Minister Collins wasn't as important as some stupid meeting? It's not like he owns or runs that stupid company that he works for. No matter how much money his family has or power they have back in Scotland that guy is just another cog in the machine at his job. Idiot has no idea what is coming for him when we see each other later."

Lois was practically fuming as she really thought about what her cousin had just told her on the phone and the more she thought about it the angrier she got. She had just talked to Bradley that morning and had told him that this minister was the man that had married her parents. That that was the reason it was so important for them to meet with him as a couple so they could talk to Minister Collins about conducting the marriage ceremony between her and Bradley.

And as she recalled the exact conversation another detail came forth which made the situation all the more infuriating.

"And he _promised_ me Clark that he was going to be here this morning. So not only is he a jerk for being so inconsiderate about missing this meeting at all, he has also broken a promise to me! That man is a jerk! I swear he is going to regret this! I am going to make him hurt for this."

Clark stood up from the spot in the pew where he had been sitting and walked over to Lois standing in the middle of the aisle near the church entrance. He put both of his hands on her shoulders and gave them a little squeeze that helped her to focus on his face.

She noticed that the different colors of the church's stain glass windows had illuminated Clark's facial features that made him look almost angelic. The soft way his hair fell across his forehead and the slightly crooked smile playing across his red lips caught her attention whole heartily and for some unknown reason caused a shiver to run through her body.

His voice ripped her out of her musings a moment later with its light and amused tone.

"Lois calm down, babe." Clark insisted and he quirked one of his eyebrows at her but he fought to keep the laughter at bay.

"Clark Kent do you think this is funny? Me basically getting stood up is funny to you?" She questioned and put her arms over her chest as a means to create some resistance to his already effect way of charming her thus getting her to calm her nerves.

"No I do not find that funny. Bradley is a jerk for that but what I find very amusing is that you are the only person I know that would be brash enough to threaten physical harm to another person… in a church of all places." Clark smiled.

"Physical harm, no I want to do physical, long lasting damage to Bradley." She quipped. "I also think that this is the perfect place to plot something like this because God only knows how much this meeting meant to me so Bradley deserves the pain he has got coming."

Clark laughed and dropped his hands from her shoulders before stuffing them in his pockets.

"Yeah well you are right and wrong at the same time."

Lois cocked her head to one side, "Care to expand on that?"

"Well you are right that Bradley deserves whatever fitting punishment you have in store but you are wrong that God is the only one that knows how much this means to you because I happen to understand too." Clark said seriously.

Lois felt warmth spread through her heart and she knew it was because it was the truth. Clark was the only person that understands things like that about her. She straightened her posture and closed her eyes briefly trying to recollect her thoughts. Simply because Bradley wasn't there did not mean that she wasn't going to still meet with Minister Collins and ask him the huge favor she was about to.

And as if her thoughts had conjured him out of thin air Minister Collins appeared before Clark and Lois suddenly in the church with a smile on his face and his arms outstretched toward them in a welcoming gesture.

"Lois, dear, how are you?" He asked warmly as he pulled the young woman into a hug.

She was lost in momentary memories of coming to church as a young girl with her father and mother on Sundays and meeting the minister that had been a part of their family's life for decades and it seemed only fitting that she included him in this next chapter of hers. It would have pleased her mother to know that the same man that had officiated her wedding ceremony would do the same for her daughter.

"Minister Collins, it is so nice to see you. Gosh, it's been too long." Lois said as she returned his hug in kind.

"Yes it has been too long but I guess I should be grateful that you remember me at all considering you are a globetrotting famous reporter now."

"Haha very funny," Lois commented as she pulled back and stood beside Clark who reached out and took Minister Collins' hand to shake it and smiled as he did.

"Minister Collins this is Clark Kent." Lois said happily and watched as the two men properly greeted each other.

"It's so nice to meet you Clark. I always see your name right next to Lois' here on those hard hitting articles you write together."

"That would be me. Lois needs someone to check her spelling and grammar before she turns her copy into Perry so she is pretty much stuck with me." Clark commented as he released Minister Collins' hand.

Lois rolled her eyes, "Get real Smallville that is what they invented spellcheck for."

He turned his head to her and smirked. "Yet you never use that, do you? You must secretly like keeping me around."

"Well I think this is something we should discuss when we are alone and not use up Minister Collins' time with our bickering."

Lois turned back to look at Minister Collins who was watching the two with an amused smile on his elderly face.

"What?" She questioned with a curiosity seeping in her body. It wasn't an expression she had ever seen on the minister's face before so she wondered what prompted it now.

"You two are quite the pair. Has anyone ever told you that there is amazing chemistry between the two of you? It is very special thing and you should cherish it." He smiled and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.

"No actually, not really," Lois said.

"Well I think it is something that will do you two a world of good in your marriage." Minister Collins' said with a happy, content expression.

Lois felt her eyebrows slide into her hairline with shock at his mistake. She was about to express her complete repulsion at the idea of ever being married to Clark with a vehement denial and correct his assumption. As she opened her mouth to speak Lois found that the words would not form on the tip of her tongue.

She shook her head, "No we aren't getting married Minister Collins. Clark is my maid of honor."

Minister Collins gave her an incredulous look, "Your maid of honor? Oh well… this is something new."

Clark smiled and chuckled a little. "Trust me I was as surprised as you are when a friend of ours suggested the idea in the first place."

"Well where is that future husband of yours?" He asked as he motioned for the two of them to follow him.

They entered a very nice office that had a a small round table in the middle of the room where there was a tea set already situated upon the top ready for the three of them. There were also scones and muffins on the tray too and her mouth watered at the selections she saw before her. Lois was reminded that she had skipped breakfast and quickly walked toward the table.

"Oh he had some business to attend to. He is sorry he can't be here, though." Lois lied and felt so guilty about it as she sat down in front of her minister. Clark sat down in the chair next to her as the minister sat across from them.

"Well that is too bad." He said briefly before motioning toward the teapot. "Would you like some?"

"Yes. Thank you so much for seeing us on such short notice." Lois said as she accepted the saucer that held the teacup. She grabbed a chocolate chip scone and started to dig in.

"No problem, Lois," said Minister Collins. "I was delighted when you called me and asked to stop by. It is always such a pleasure to see you."

"Well the reason I wanted to talk to you is because…" Lois trailed off and looked at Clark for a moment.

She wasn't sure of the exact way to form such a huge request. It would be one thing if Lois was getting married in Metropolis or somewhere in the vicinity but they were getting hitched in Scotland. Lois wasn't usually nervous like this and wondered what was holding her up now.

"Lois you can ask me anything." Minister Collins urged her on.

"I was wondering if you would be willing to see over my wedding ceremony in Scotland."

He sat back a little in his chair but a smile immediately graced his face, "Of course Lois. That would be my pleasure. May I ask you why you are getting married there of all places?"

Lois smiled in excitement at his answer that she barely heard his other remarks. She did not stop smiling as she waved her hand a little.

"Bradley, that is my fiancé, is from there. We plan to get married in a castle over there in three weeks."

"Three weeks?" repeated Minister Collins, "That certainly is soon."

"Yeah but for us it doesn't feel like we are rushing or anything." Lois quickly recovered as she heard the slight concern in his voice. She knew what people thought when they heard how short of a time period her whole relationship with Bradley had spanned.

"I believe you Lois." Minister Collins reassured her. "Could you tell me a few things about you and Bradley so that I could get a better understanding of your relationship?"

"Well… um we met in London when I was there on a work assignment." Lois told him before continuing to eat her scone.

"And," Minister Collins asked as he made a motion with his hands for her to embellish on her statement.

Lois looked at him expectantly with a curious gaze, "And what?"

"How did you feel when you first met him? What is your relationship with him like? I am going to need some more personal details on the two of you and the way you interact together that lets the two of you know you have found the person you are supposed to spend your life with."

She took in everything that he had said and thought over all of the moments of her relationship with Bradley from when they first met to that morning when they had last spoken on the phone.

Lois tried to put those thoughts into the words she knew would be expected in a wedding ceremony. It wasn't like she ever thought he was her prince charming or that they were some sort of fairytale romance played out in real life. He never had her at hello and Bradley was not her other half so what should she say?

She continued to hesitate and started to stutter a response. "Well, I mean we are kind of like that couple that, I guess you could say that—"

"It is like that quote you said you liked a couple of years ago." Clark stated and took a sip of his tea.

Lois furrowed her eyebrow at him, "What quote?"

"I think it goes something like, 'Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you I had no control over.' I always thought you liked that one."

Lois stared at him for a moment and silently thought about how that saying fit Clark and her as a couple a heck of a lot more than it fit Bradley and her as a couple. She shook her head and tried to clear her mind of all of the crazy thoughts she had been having that morning regarding Clark.

"That is perfect Clark. Now I understand why you are the maid of honor after all."

Clark smiled triumphantly at the minister then back at Lois.

She smiled back at him and said, "Yeah Clark… you totally always know the right thing to say."

"Sure, no problem," Clark smiled. "You could also throw in little details about how well you two know each other."

"What do you mean Clark?" Minister Collins asked.

"Well like the fact that her favorite color is navy blue or that the reason she loves to watch _The Terminator_ so much is not because of the action but actually because of the romance between Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor. She thinks Kyle Reese is dreamy."

He threw her a small knowing glance and for some unknown reason it caused Lois to blush.

What he was saying was the truth but it wasn't like her to blush because of something Clark said to her regardless of how true it was.

As he continued to talk to the minister about all of the little details of her personality that he could use in his speech at the ceremony Lois was lost in her own thoughts. Thoughts that revolved around Clark and why it was she was becoming so confused where he was concerned.

What was going on with her?

* * *

End of Chapter 10.

Please Review.


	11. Chapter 11

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 11

* * *

There was a buzzing in the air as Clark stood leaned against the frame of the hallway watching the occupants of the room scurry around trying to accommodate the group that was currently their duty to serve and please.

They had all gathered there so that Clark and Bradley could be fitted for their tuxedos for the wedding. Chloe had dragged Jimmy along with her to find him something appropriate to wear for the ceremony since most of what he had wasn't fancy enough to wear inside a church. At least that was the way she had put it. Lana and Oliver had tagged along simply because neither wanted to pass up a chance to see Lois barking orders to anyone.

They never got as many chances to see Lois in all of her glory as often as Clark did considering that most of his opportunities came up on the spur of the moment during an interview gone wrong or a source that wouldn't talk like they had promised. Those were the times when Lois' temperament could make even the General blush.

Clark furrowed his eyebrows at the thought of her dad and wondered what the man had been told about this wedding.

He pushed off of his spot on the frame and walked over to where Lois was sitting next to Bradley on a couch in the middle of the private room they were all in. He sat next Lois on her right side as she and Bradley looked at a sample book from the shop that would handle the floral arrangements.

"Lois, I have a question for you," Clark said as he dipped his head in closer to hers as it was bent downward looking at the book in her lap. The second he did, though, he immediately regretted the action as he was enveloped by the sweet scent that he always associated with Lois. It was soft and natural and it never faded because it was totally Lois Lane and she never liked to wear perfume.

She turned her head to look at him and he realized then that due to the angle of both their faces, if he leaned in just an inch or two closer Clark would be able to kiss her red, pouty lips. It was something he had been dreaming of for weeks now. Of course, in his dreams they never just ended at the kissing parts but went way beyond that.

Clark would dream about the soft feel of her skin. He always loved when he got to move his lips down her taut stomach muscles, the special silkiness of her brown locks as his fingers tangled up in her hair, and then there was always that one moment of undoing; it was when she moaned his name and there was never any going back.

"Clark?"

That was always how it sounded in his dreams.

"Clark?"

Except in his dreams it was a little huskier and laced with lust.

"Yo, Clark! Come back to the living, man."

That was not what he heard in his dreams that sounded a lot like Oliver.

It was enough to jolt Clark from his mind and his blue eyes refocused on the room. Everyone was looking at him with curious expressions. He felt a blush creep up to his cheeks as he noticed that he was in a room full of his best friends and had got lost within his own daydreams about Lois.

As if he hadn't enough problems, Clark had to go and add public humiliation to the list as well.

Figures, Clark thought bitterly before he leaned back in his spot on the couch. It created some much needed space between him and Lois as he looked to Oliver across the room. The young blond was staring at him with a cocky smirk.

Clark glared at him. "I was just wondering what was going on with The General? Is he coming to the wedding or not?"

Bradley moved his eyes around Lois to look at Clark. He fixed him with a genuinely curious expression as his arm rested around Lois' waist and he squeezed her closer to him.

"Who is 'the general' and what does he matter?"

Clark smirked with the pleasure that he would be able to tell Bradley who his future father-in-law was and hopefully see the panic set in as he realized that he may be in over his head with the Lane family.

"The General is Lois' father. Didn't she tell you?" Clark inquired and feigned disbelief for his best friend. "How could you Lois? This is important stuff. You're starting to lose your savvy street smarts. Not telling Bradley, here, about your father, for shame."

Lois glared at him and snapped the floral book shut. "I told him who my father was. I just didn't mention what he does for a living. We hadn't gotten that far into the conversation, yet. In case you missed it, Smallville, I have been occupied by other things lately like planning a wedding in another freaking country. Now if you'll excuse me I am going to talk to Lana about those different materials for your tie."

Lois stood up in a huff and quickly stalked over to where Lana was standing going over all of the different things for the boys' tuxedo ensembles. She stopped next to her friend and with both hands on her hips threw him one last glare over her shoulder before engrossing herself into the conversation.

Clark smirked again and took a certain amount of pride in the knowledge that he was the only person that could rile Lois up like that without really trying.

He shifted back in his seat a little more and rested an arm on the back of the couch as he continued to stare at Lois. Clark knew that he could have gotten lost in another daydream of her soft lips and her long legs but was brought back to reality very quickly by Bradley.

"So Lois' father is a general?" Bradley questioned as he leaned back in his own spot and glanced between the woman who had just left them and the reporter to his side.

Clark looked at him casually out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, he is a Lieutenant General in the Army."

"Oh." Bradley responded quietly. Clark noticed the pale look that had settled over the man's face and decided that there were a few more things Bradley should know about Sam Lane.

"He is a highly decorated, respected, and successful military man." Clark began as Bradley focused his eyes on him with a twinge of fear in them. "Sam Lane is a fierce soldier, a veteran of two wars, a consultant of the White House, and all of the men he has had under his command feared him."

"Feared him? I think you mean that they respected him. That is what you said before, wasn't it?" Bradley commented and his wide eyes indicated his mounting apprehension of his fiancé's father.

Clark chuckled. "No, I meant that his superiors and his colleagues respect him. All of the men under his order fear him and for good reason. He is probably the most intimidating man I have ever met."

Bradley looked at him still afraid and slightly skeptical now. "Didn't you and Lois get the exclusive interview of that mass murder last year right before he was put to death?"

"Yep but at that point he wasn't scary or intimidating anymore considering he was chained and about to walk to his demise. Plus, that man was half my size so it wasn't easy to be afraid of him but the General, well he is another story. He could be the size of Thumbelina and he would still make me shake in my boots because it's his presence that intimidates and his glares that give a whole other meaning to 'If looks could kill.'."

Clark stood up but not before leaning over to Bradley and slapped his shoulder. "But it really isn't my problem. I'm not the guy marrying his daughter after only a few months of knowing each other."

He stalked away from his rival and then walked over to talk to Oliver who was standing by the girls looking at him with a smug and amused grin on his face.

"I take it you instilled the fear of God in Bradley by the look of horror on his face." Oliver asked when Clark was close enough to hear him.

Clark laughed a little and shook his head as he shoved both of his hands in his pockets, "No, not the fear of God just the fear of her father."

Oliver smirked. "Well, I think it worked."

He looked over his shoulder at Bradley who was sitting in a very still position as he stared off into the space in front of his feet with a very unsure and nervous look in his eyes.

Clark smirked before turning back to Oliver. "Yeah, I think it did."

~X~

Later that night Clark walked off of the elevator and into the bullpen of the Planet. It was practically deserted given the time of night but he knew she would still be there working at her desk, furiously typing away as she usually did.

Clark strolled along a little further into the room and as his desk came into sight, sure enough, she was right there sitting at her own desk which was directly across from his. Lois was as he had predicted and was totally wrapped in whatever story she was working on. She was in her full on award winning journalist mode as she had her eyes furrowed, a pencil stuck in her messy hair, and her shoes thrown the side so she could be as comfortable as possible.

He stood for a moment watching her, and it was moments like that when his heart hurt the most because he knew that it was a real possibility that Lois didn't return his feelings, that he would lay it all on the line with her and be rejected. It was a real possibility that Lois would marry Bradley and he would lose her forever.

It was almost too much for him to handle when his mind wandered into the darkest places of his soul and heart and he was forced to face all of his fears. The pain of uncertainty and the weight of the worst possible scenarios, he felt, could and would crush him if they got the chance.

"Are you going to stand there all night or are you going to actually move and maybe help me out a little on _our_ story."

Clark chuckled and all of his thoughts were instantly forgotten at the sound of her voice filling the nearly empty bullpen.

"I don't know. If I stay here then I could just enjoy my tacos without having to work for my meal one little bit."

Lois turned her head to the side and gave him a quizzical stare, "Tacos? From where?"

Clark chuckled again and started moving closer to her desk. He grabbed onto a chair that was abandoned in the middle of the room and swiveled it until it was next to hers then plopped the brown paper bag onto her desk as he sat down.

"From Ferdinand's' or do you think I would bring you food from a place you don't like? And if you think that is true then you don't know me at all." Clark smiled at her and opened the bag as the delicious scent of the Mexican food filled the air.

"How could I have ever had any doubt in you?" Lois smiled as she grabbed onto the taco Clark held out for her to take.

The moment that their fingers accidently touched there was a shock of electricity. They looked at each other for a moment. His blue eyes were locked onto her hazel ones and the air around them took on a seriousness that hadn't been there a few seconds ago.

Lois broke out into a smile first. "Well, Kent it looks like we've got a spark between us."

Clark smiled too. "Yeah, I would say we do."

She pulled her hand away and opened her taco. Clark followed her actions and they both began to eat. They sat there in a comfortable silence and the only sound was the hum of the computers in the room and the other one or two late night workers.

His mind wandered back to his earlier worries and concerns. They were still so prevalent in his mind but then Clark looked at Lois out of the corner of his eye. She caught him looking at her and ducked her head down a little to avoid his gaze.

But she wasn't quick enough to hide the blush forming on her cheeks from Clark's attention and it was then that he thought all of those fears may be foolish. There may very well be a shift in the winds and they were in his favor.

Finally.

* * *

End of Chapter 11.

Please Review.


	12. Chapter 12

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 12

* * *

Lois rolled over in bed and opened her eyes. The sun had barely come up and it cast an orange glow around the bedroom. Her bed was cozy and warm as she stretched out her limbs across it.

It was almost too soft and comfortable for her to force herself to get up but she knew she had to; so Lois pulled the cover off of her and placed her feet on the hard wood floor. A slight chill ran through her body as she reached for her robe and threw it over her shoulders.

Lois ran a hand through her hair before stifling a yawn and padded through her apartment to the kitchen. The sweet promise of coffee was enough to make her smile.

She played her fingers across her hallway walls as she thought about the day ahead. Clark had agreed to escort her on a few errands she had all over town and as she ran through her list of chores in her head, there was one stop in particular she hoped he would enjoy.

And he better enjoy the little bit of modeling she planned to do for him.

Lois almost stopped mid step. Why should she concern herself with whether or not Clark was going to actually enjoy that one particular store? It wasn't like what she planned to buy there would be for his benefit.

No, all she wanted was a male opinion. So she continued to walk toward the kitchen with that shaky conclusion.

However, when she arrived at her destination Lois' thoughts were immediately replaced with one terrifying observation. The coffee she specifically makes to start brewing a half-hour before she gets up in the morning was not as it should be, completely ready for her to devour.

Lois raced over to the coffee pot and looked all over the stupid machine to discover the problem.

"What the hell?" She muttered to no one but herself. "What happened?"

She pulled the coffee pot away from the wall and then found out exactly why she did not have her usual cup of coffee already in her hand. Lois snatched the unplugged power cord from behind the machine and all but glared at it.

"What the hell?" Lois racked her brains as to why this would be unplugged because she would never do such a stupid thing.

But Bradley would.

Lois' eyes narrowed as she thought about her future hubby and all of his ways to keep his life and all of the things in it "green" so that he could single handedly save the planet.

"I'm gonna kill 'em." She growled as she threw the power cord against the counter and stepped back into the middle of the kitchen.

"I'm so gonna kill 'em." Lois repeated.

She couldn't get too far along in her plans to seriously harm Bradley because only a moment later her doorbell was chiming its song throughout the entire apartment. Lois sighed and turned her body toward the living room.

"Clark, use your key." Lois yelled at the door. She was way too lazy and pissed off to be the charming hostess.

Plus, he was perfectly capable of opening it all by his lonesome.

She heard the lock jiggle on her door before it revealed the young man from the other side as he stepped further into the room and shut the door behind him with a soft thud. Clark stood in all of his glory with dark jeans on, a white button down shirt, and a leather jacket.

Damn.

She let her eyes travel down his body and slowly back up until she settled her gaze upon his face where the moment their eyes met the smile slid off of his lips and a look of panic set upon his blue eyes.

"Okay, how is it possible I have done something to piss you off? I've been here less than a minute." Clark asked hesitantly.

Lois laughed a little. "I'm not pissed off at least not at you. Bradley found it necessary to unplug my coffee pot before he left last night. So when I got up only five minutes ago, I had no coffee waiting to greet me."

Clark shook his head. "Gee, what are you going to do him? It is a pretty heinous offence taking your morning cup of Joe away from you. Just make sure you leave all four of his limbs intact when you exact your revenge."

Lois laughed again. "Well, I can't make any promises this early in the morning without any caffeine."

Clark smiled smugly at her. "It is a good thing I brought you some breakfast then."

From behind his back he pulled a coffee tray with a paper bag and presented them out to her as he started to close the distance between them. Lois met him half way and grabbed the coffee cup out of the tray almost knocking the other cup over in the process. Clark jumped a little to avoid anything spilling on his skin.

"Hey, watch it! This is hot liquid you are dealing with here." Clark whined as Lois brought the coffee cup to her lips and sipped the sweet deliciousness down her throat.

"Mhmm, this is so good." Lois let out a sigh of early morning bliss.

"Glad to be of service to you, Lois." Clark said as he set the tray down on the nearest table and took his own cup out of it.

She leaned against the back of the couch and Clark leaned next to her as they both enjoyed their coffee in the comfortable silence. It was incredible that he had brought her coffee on the one day that she had almost had to face the possibility of going without. They were so amazingly in tune with one another.

Clark looked at her and gave her a questioning glance. She felt his eyes on her face and like every other time the past few days, the intensity of his gaze was enough to make goose bumps appear on her arms but in a good way.

After a moment the deep baritone of his voice filled the room. "How did you know it was me when I knocked?"

Lois furrowed her eyebrows together. "Huh?"

"When I knocked a second ago you told me to use my key and I hadn't said it was me that was on the other side. How did you know?"

Lois shrugged. "I just knew."

Clark looked at her skeptically. "You just _knew_?"

Lois drew an eyebrow up in answer to his challenge, "How did you know to bring me coffee today? You usually just let me make it myself."

Clark sighed, "Touché."

Lois smiled arrogantly back at him in victory. "Now I have to go and get dressed so that we can finally go shopping."

"Lois you hate shopping, what exactly has you so excited about it today?" Clark questioned before sipping of his cup.

Lois drew in closer to him and whispered, "Lingerie."

Clark was still choking on his coffee in shock as she sprinted toward her bedroom to change out of her pajamas. She knew that this was going to be a rather interesting experience.

~x~

"So don't you think that this would be better if you brought along Lana or Chloe? Heck, Oliver would be a better choice than me since he has so much experience." Clark said as they strolled into the lingerie store.

"Tess and he have had an on again-off again relationship for as long as we have known them. Do you really think he would risk pissing her off by pulling a Ross Geller on one of their breaks? All of his experience in the dating world was from years ago and I don't care to know what he likes to see on Satan's Mistress."

Lois countered with a stare as she put one hand on her hip. Clark stared back at her but quickly nodded his head as he revoked his protests.

"Yeah, I guess you are right. Ollie isn't that stupid as to provoke Tess by sleeping with another woman especially since he really wants to convince her to get serious with him but I would refrain on the nicknames considering she will be his date to your wedding," Clark said and stuffed his hand into his pocket.

Lois nodded as she thought about the volatile relationship between Oliver Queen and Tess Mercer. They were a very intense pair. When they were together they were on fire but when they weren't together they were at each other's throats. It was either one extreme or the other and nothing in between but their inability to make things work confused her.

"They have been going back and forth for so long why don't they just slap a couple of rings on their fingers, recite the vows, and call it a day?" Lois wondered out loud. "It isn't like everybody doesn't know that those two are made for each other."

Lois started to peruse the racks of sexy materials and articles of clothing that she had to choose from.

"Yeah, well the only two people that don't know that Oliver and Tess will end up together are Oliver and Tess, it seems." Clark said as he stood awkwardly among the many racks of clothing surrounding him.

Lois smiled back at the sight of him and sighed. "Clark you can go and sit down in the dressing room if you want. I'll just meet you in there."

Clark looked panicked for a second. "Yeah about that Lois, I don't think this is such a good idea. Are you sure you don't want to call Chloe—"

Lois glared at him. "I am sure that I don't want anyone else's opinion on this but yours so you can go and sit down and wait for me to join you in the dressing room. Now, scoot."

Clark begrudgingly started to sulk toward the dressing rooms and as he made his way there he passed by a sales associate that decided it was appropriate to blatantly check him out as he walked on by. The woman even turned her head to follow him as he made his way further and further in the opposite direction and so obviously checked out Clark's backside as he did so.

Lois felt her blood begin to boil in her veins as she watched this little cupcake of a woman check out her Clark. She narrowed her eyes at her as she started to make her way in Lois' direction and had the audacity to put a smile on her face.

"Hello ma'am. My name is Kimmy. Is there anything I can help you with?" The woman asked and stopped in front of Lois.

She fixed her with a glare. "Yeah, you can help me by not checking out Clark anymore. Don't think I didn't see you just now totally giving him the once over."

The woman blushed. "I am so sorry. I should not have acted so inappropriately toward your fiancé. Please accept my sincerest apologies."

Lois relaxed a little. "He isn't my fiancé. Clark is just my friend but it still pisses me off."

Kimmy smiled. "You are so right, and I should not have acted so inappropriately toward him. Is there anything I can help you with or would you like me to get another associate to assist you?"

Lois shook her head. "No you can help me. I am looking for something for my honeymoon."

"What do you think your husband would like to see you in?" Kimmy asked as she started toward a rack on one of the outer walls of the store.

"I'm not sure. You should just give me a variety and I will see what I like the best." Lois said and started to pick things out herself as Kimmy also began to pick outfits off the racks too.

"Sure thing."

About forty five minutes later Lois was in the dressing room with all of her selections with her in there too. She stood and browsed through her options before deciding on what she thought would be the best one.

It was a sexy little outfit, she had to admit.

And Lois all of a sudden was unsure whether or not she could actually model this to Clark Kent of all people. It was suddenly something she wasn't sure about anymore. And the weirdest part about it was that the most likely fear that she thought she would have wasn't the one that she was currently having.

Instead, of worrying about feeling awkward standing in front of Clark in sexy lingerie she was worried about whether or not he would like it. What if he didn't like it? What if he did like it?

What the heck was she doing?

What she had in her hands was a silver corset that laced up with black ribbon and lace trim and also had matching lace panties. Suddenly, it was a little too much for her to take if she walked out to Clark in something that he may not like. Lois wasn't sure why it mattered so much that Clark thought she looked absolutely stunning in whatever she decided to model for him but it did.

A silver corset just did not seem like it was really his style.

So she put that particular item down and picked up a slightly more modest champagne colored silk slip with cream colored lace trim and put it on instead of her original choice. Lois gave her image a last look in the mirror and messed up her hair a little in order to totally blow Clark over and when she was satisfied that she would, she called out to him.

"Okay. Get ready because I am coming out now."

Lois took one last deep breath and reigned in her nerves as she pulled back the curtain to the dressing room and stepped out.

Clark was sitting on the round bench in the middle of the room that was out side of all the individual dressing rooms. He was leaning back on the couch his head resting on his hand as she came into his full view.

Lois stood before him and felt so vulnerable it was almost too much for her to bear. She stared intently at his reaction and watched a shocked and stunned expression fall over his handsome features as he picked his head up straight and his eyes slowly trailed up and down her body.

Lois also noticed his mouth fall open a little and couldn't help notice how soft his lips looked, too.

She felt her skin heat up under his intense, dark gaze and Lois tingled from the shocking pleasure of it. When he met her own eyes once more she was completely entranced by him and the desire she found there.

Lois chewed on her bottom lip as she found that she could not look away from him. Why was he looking at her like that? And why did Lois feel like it was making her heart beat a little faster.

"So do you like?" Lois asked and she whispered it so softly she was afraid that he wouldn't hear her.

But he did and he began to nod his head as he spoke. "I—uh. Lois you look—Yes, I like."

Lois beamed back at him and turned around a little to model more of it for him. She was so happy that he liked it. That was her only concern.

"And I'm sure he will like it too." Clark said a beat later.

Lois turned back to face him and stared at him with a confused expression on her face.

"Who?"

"Bradley."

She closed her eyes for a moment at her stupidity. How could she have forgotten why she was there in the first place? Bradley was the one this outfit was meant for.

And then the somewhat magical moment that had settled upon the two of them was shattered by the harsh reality of the situation.

"Yeah, I am sure he will. I think I am going to change now." Lois said abruptly and walked back into the dressing room as fast as she could because she needed to escape that potentially awkward moment between her and Clark.

Lois did not spare Clark another glance. She couldn't handle the embarrassment she felt for having forgotten about Bradley in the first place much less let Clark see her anger at him for ruining that moment that they had just had by bringing Bradley up at all.

What the hell was she thinking?

Lois looked at her reflection the in the mirror when she got back within confines of the small room where all of her other clothes rested.

She stared herself down fiercely. "Whatever is going on between you and Clark needs to stop _right now_. There was no moment. He ruined nothing. Focus, Lane, you are getting married to Bradley. This outfit is for Bradley. Just focus on that."

~x~

After the lingerie store Clark and Lois had gone around to different stores all over the city of Metropolis to find various things that Lois would need for the wedding. The entire day she had been reeling from the very amazing moment between her and Clark that morning. As much as Lois tried to convince herself that there was no moment, deep down she knew that there had been a moment. She had to force herself to not think about it as they walked from shop to shop all day long. For the most part it failed but there was only one other thing that had occupied her thoughts. And that also had to with Clark so he had basically been on her mind constantly.

And now as she sat in front of Clark at their favorite coffee shop, Lois knew she had to work up the courage to tell him what she didn't want to tell him.

Lois pulled her sunglasses off of her face and brushed her hands on the napkin that rested on her plate. She was about to open her mouth to speak but Clark beat her to the punch.

"You know when Lana came up with the crazy idea that I be your maid of honor, I have to say I was skeptical. Okay, I was more than skeptical I thought Lana had lost her freaking mind but today hasn't been too bad. The floral arrangements and the crystal settings weren't as boring as I thought they were going to be when I read all of those bridal handbooks I found at the book store."

Lois looked at him in disbelief. "Wait, you read up on how to be a bridesmaid?"

She never thought that Clark would take this so seriously. It maybe should not have surprised her that he was so considerate but somehow it still did.

"Well yeah. It's not like I ever done this before, you know." Clark quipped. "And don't get me wrong, I have been relying on Chloe and Lana for a lot of help."

Clark smiled at her and she could not help but return it with a smile of her own. "You are the greatest guy I know. I am going to miss you so much."

Lois closed her eyes at her slip of the tongue that Clark was bound to pick up on. And sure enough, he did.

"What do you mean by that? You aren't going anywhere you are just getting hitched."

Lois sighed and looked Clark straight in the eye. "The thing is Clark that the editor-in-chief that I worked with over in London really liked me and he offered me a full time position in his office. It would be a promotion from what I am getting at the Planet, here. Plus, Bradley lives in London and it just makes more sense for me to move there to be with him after we get married since the job offer is so great."

Clark looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "Wait, what?"

Lois steeled herself and then she replied.

"Clark I'm moving to London."

* * *

End of Chapter 12.

Please Review.


	13. Chapter 13

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 13

Author's Note: I want to thank **shopgirl909**for the help she has given me with Dalhousie Castle and this how Scotland part entirely. Thank you very much! It has been and will be a big help.

* * *

The castle loomed over them in a most spectacular way that made Lois smile with almost disbelief that in just a few short days she would be married in this gorgeous place. However, what did not have her in a particularly happy mood were the number of people standing outside the entrance awaiting the arrival of Lois and her friends.

She could see Bradley stand out among the small crowd of his family because he was anxiously awaiting her and had been practically giddy the last time they talked knowing they would soon be together. It was warming to know how much Bradley cared for her and how excited he could get at the simple thought of seeing her after even a short absence because it was just so fantastic to see someone that wasn't as cynical or sarcastic as most of her friends could be at times.

It was refreshing.

Lois smiled knowing that she would be welcomed by at least one familiar face. He had tried his best over the past few weeks to get her up to speed on his family members but try as she might it was hard to remember all of the names and it was even harder to match them to the faces.

Lois sat next to Lana in the luxury car as it was almost directly in front of the Lewis family and she felt her friend give her hand a squeeze.

"Hey, Lois you need to calm down. So he has a big family, and you will be meeting them all for the first time at the same moment, and they are like royalty or related to it but you have been to the tops of mountains and stared down political figures on the verge of scandal knowing you would be the one to push them over the edge and into disgrace." Lana assured her with a smile.

Lois took her words to heart and gave a weak smile as the car rolled to a stop.

"I know. Thanks Lana, glad to have you around."

She watched as Bradley rushed forward to open the door for Lois to step out of it and she smiled at her fiancé. Though her worries had not been distinguished entirely she was able to set them aside for the moment and smiled at him but there was a nagging voice in her head that kept telling her that the knot in her stomach had nothing to do with meeting her future in-laws.

It was a voice she had been ignoring as steadfastly as she could.

Lois threw her arms around Bradley's neck and hugged him close. He pulled her extremely tight to his body and she relished in the warmth she found in his arms. Bradley was a very special person and he was like a big teddy bear when they were in each other's arms. The strange part about it was that the warmth and comfort she felt were quickly replaced by a sense of weird discomfort that came on very suddenly.

It wasn't usually like this when she and Bradley embraced but Lois chalked it up to the many family members that were standing around anxiously waiting to see and speak with her for the first time and meet the woman that had swept their headstrong young man off of his feet.

So she pulled back awkwardly and instantly looked around to see all of her friends intermixed with members of the Lewis family. But her heart went suddenly heavy when she caught the blue eyes of her best friend.

As she stood stupidly beside Bradley she was caught up in the gaze of Clark. He had just exited the car that had been following hers and for having been on a very long journey across the pond, he looked incredible. The wind was blowing his hair around his face and the frown on his soft lips was not an expression she was custom to seeing on her Clark.

He was always so optimistic and there was never really a day in his life that he had not viewed the proverbial glass as half full but it was hard to argue that in that moment he wasn't pleased and he was as far from happy as Lois had ever seen him.

What caught her attention the most was the storm in his eyes. They were dark, and conflicted as he stared back at her. Clark's eyes were so full of emotions that it broke her heart to see him that way and she wondered what had made caused it.

Actually, she knew what had caused it or she had her major suspicions and it all came back to her being at fault for his quiet misery. Clark had not been in a good mood since she told him the news of her moving to London.

Lois tried hard to assure him that things wouldn't change completely as she thought he feared when she first told him. It didn't really work considering that he always came back at her with the rebuttal that she was moving to London and there was no way to avoid things changing between them.

As she continued to wonder, her eyes moved across Clark's features as his gaze slid from her to the man standing next to her and then there was a flash of something she thought she recognized but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

Maybe his displeasure had nothing to do with her moving but had something to do with a problem he had with Bradley? But why would he have a problem with him? There wasn't any reason for any animosity to exist between the two guys because they barely had any contact at all so really that wasn't the likely cause.

Lois sighed but how does that explain the emotion she had seen flash in her friend's gaze?

"So, darling are you ready to meet everyone?" Bradley whispered. "They are so looking forward to saying hello to you."

Lois smiled up into Bradley's face and walked around toward Lana and Chloe who were both eagerly chatting up some male cousins of her fiancé's and she took particular notice that former was completely engrossed in her conversation. Lana was talking to the man whose name Lois recalled was Philip. He had been good looking in the one picture she had seen of the whole family and in person even more so, Lois would predict that by the end of the weekend that Lana may be very smitten with the young man.

"Lois, I would love for you to meet my mother Marianne." Bradley said as he motioned for a regal, sophisticated blond woman who had a sparkling smile and greenest eyes she had ever seen in her life.

Lois took her hand and lightly shook it as she grinned. "Mrs. Lewis, it is such a pleasure to meet you finally."

The woman smiled wider and then motioned toward her son. "We have been wondering here how special this woman had to be to completely enamor Bradley in such a short period of time and now it is obvious that you are above even our expectations. You are truly beautiful."

Lois blushed at the gracious compliments. "Thank you so very much. I must say that you are so very kind and I think that Bradley has not done you justice in his ever glowing, prideful explanations of his mother."

"Oh. Lois you certainly are a charmer. No wonder Bradley speaks so fondly of you and he has been counting down the minutes until you arrived since practically the second he got home himself last week."

Before she had a chance to reply a man stepped into the small circle that was forming around her and he extended his hand as well at the same time he gave his wife a small squeeze on her shoulder. "Come now, Marianne you shouldn't monopolize this young woman's attention. I am Bradley's father Walter Lewis."

She smiled again as she took the other person's hand and shook it as well. "Sir, it is so nice to meet you. Bradley also speaks highly of you."

Walter chuckled. "It pleases me to hear that. Now, how about we make some further introductions as we move further into the castle?"

"That would be great." Lois answered and she was pulled into Marianne's embrace by a slight tug on her elbow by the woman as she whispered into her ear.

"Now dear, we need to inform you that there have been a few problems."

Lois whipped her head toward her with a wide eyed, panic stricken expression, "Problems? What kind of problems?"

Marianne shook her head a little and her blond hair tickled Lois' face a little as it was caught in the wind. "Well first and foremost, Bradley, why don't you go ahead to talk with your cousins and those three gentlemen that arrived with your bride?"

"As you say, mother, I will see you later darling." He said as he kissed Lois on the side of the head before quickly sprinting off to talk to the group of guys that was walking ahead of them toward the entrance.

Lois watched as he joined Clark and Jimmy before she set her attention back on Marianne and noticed that the mother of her fiancé had waited until they were very secluded and straggling in behind everyone else to start speaking again.

This wasn't a good sign. And her suspicion was soon confirmed.

"Lois, sweetheart, there has been a bit of a problem with your wedding dress."

"WHAT?"

~X~

Tess stood in the middle of the lavish, completely stunning room of Dalhousie Castle with one hand on her hip and a look of mild disinterest on her face. She was more caught up in the view that was visible through the window than the scene unfolding in front of her. One could see the rolling dark green hills until they met the dense forests and since she was a native of Metropolis such a vision of nature wasn't one she was accustomed to. What was happening in front of her was something that could have happened at home and actually, it had on occasion.

Well, it was not exactly the same but the Lois Lane freak out was something she had seen before for sure.

"I don't understand. What happened?" Lois whispered as she fingered the dress that still rested in its plastic covering.

The quiet desperation in her voice was almost enough to tug at Tess' heart strings but not quite there yet. If she were a betting gal she would put money on the fact that Lois would not be distraught for long and would soon slip into blind anger for this horrible mistake that would not be easily fixed before walking down the aisle.

Lois stood still staring at the dress as Chloe and Lana flanked each side trying to appear as though they were just as shocked as the bride was at this sudden development. Tess did feel a little bad, though, that the very people that Lois trusted were the very ones that would be causing her a lot of grief in the upcoming days.

Tess had stumbled upon their little conspiracy in the car this very morning as they were driving from the airport to the castle. The castle was beautiful with its stone walls and the splendor of the gorgeous green backdrop in which it rested.

But that was all beside the point because it was what had happened before she saw the castle that really had her mind whirling.

_Flashback_

_Tess placed her lips on the side of Oliver's ear and kissed her way along the skin of his neck until her nose was being tickled by his blond hair. She sighed and took a deep breath in of his musky scent that even after a long flight still made her tingle._

"_You shouldn't do that." Oliver warned and she smirked in response as she pulled back to stare into his eyes._

"_What?" Tess grinned evilly before pulling his mouth to hers in a heated, passionate, lust filled kiss that was always standard for them but especially after they had recovered from a particularly horrendous fight. Their latest had climaxed in first class when the attendant had to separate them because she had smacked Ollie on the head and hadn't held back in her strength to spare him a real injury._

_But neither of them could remember what they fought about nor did she care as his hands wandered up her back underneath her shirt. Tess moaned into his mouth as slowly pushed her hips into his._

_"Excuse me?"_

_Oliver broke the kiss immediately much to her irritation. She moved her head up a little and glared into the face that belonged to the voice._

"_Sorry dude." Oliver said and tried to pull away from her but she tightened her hold on his neck and made a grunt of protest but never stopped glaring at Clark._

"_Do you have a problem?" She asked with an eyebrow raised._

"_Your little love fest is directly in front of my face." Clark replied. "Yeah, that is my problem."_

_Tess sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Don't get pissy with me, Kent because the girl you just realized you have been in love with since forever is about to marry another man. It isn't my fault you are so fucking slow."_

_Clark huffed. "Why are you even here, Tess? In case you haven't noticed that the rest of the ladies went into the car in front of us. Oh, wait I forgot you aren't a lady."_

"_That is enough Clark." Oliver commanded as he turned his head to look at his friend and Tess smiled a little to herself as she took pride in her boyfriend standing up for her to his closest friend even though he knew she could handle it on her own. Plus, she and Clark had always had an adversarial type of relationship._

_They never really got a long but they never hated each other either._

"_Man I am so sorry. This can't be easy on you." Oliver commented after seeing the awful way in which Clark appeared._

"_I have no idea what you are talking about Oliver."_

_Tess smirked and decided to twist the knife in a little deeper. "Oh he is talking about how we are all heading toward Lois Lane's nuptials except you won't be the one awaiting her at the altar as she comes strolling down the aisle all dressed in white."_

_Oliver snorted. "I doubt things will get that far when she finds her that her dress—"_

_Tess watched as Clark kicked Oliver from behind the car seat and to her amazement Oliver quickly shut his mouth as if he were simply being reminded of something and not accosted by his friend._

_It was not like Oliver to let things like that slide much less accept it so she was immediately suspicious._

_Tess thought about what Oliver had said. What could have happened to Lois' dress and how did they know about it before even the bride had seen it? It was waiting with the rest of the in-laws at the castle._

"_What is she going to find when Lois gets her dress?" Jimmy, who was sitting next to Clark, voiced her thoughts before she could._

"_What? Nothing."_

_Tess shifted off her boyfriend's lap and sat in front of Jimmy and smiled but still held a quizzical expression on her face. Between the two of them there was no way they wouldn't figure this out before they got to their destination._

"_Let's think about this. Now what could go wrong with a wedding dress?"_

_Jimmy thought it over for a second before he shrugged. "The thing that goes wrong with all clothing… it doesn't fit."_

_Tess nodded. That would be the most obvious thing to happen but that would not explain how the two lug heads in the car would know about it already unless…_

_She glared at Clark. "What did you do to her dress, Kent?"_

_Jimmy looked cautiously to his friend but his eyes held a certain amount of accusation in them that had not been there previously. Tess smirked as she watched Clark fidget in his seat further and sweat began to collect on his brow._

"_If you two do not tell us what has happened and how you knew about it then the first thing I am going to say to Lois is that whatever is wrong with her dress is your fault."_

_Oliver put a hand on her shoulder and looked dejectedly at Clark. "Dude, just tell them."_

_Clark sighed. "Okay but you have to promise complete silence. It all started the night that Lois came back with Bradley."_

_Flashback_

So that is how she had come to know about the plot to sabotage Lois Lane's wedding to Bradley Lewis that was spearheaded by her closest friends and her own flesh and blood.

It was almost despicable and it would not take a lot of imagination to figure out all of the different ways they had already steered the wedding off course totally on purpose.

The dress was the most sacred and essential piece of any wedding and they were clearly not above messing with that so Tess wouldn't be surprised at anything else they had done or will do to accomplish their goal. And she had to admit it was a goal that she would support if she cared. Tess had never gotten along with a lot of Oliver's friends. Lois and she had some similar qualities that made it impossible for them to get along famously and then there was Clark who was just plain annoying. He was a little too cheerful and a little too optimistic. She was really indifferent to Chloe and Lana to form any kind of opinion on them.

After learning of their treachery she may have to reform her view.

Tess was really having a hard time deciding whether or not she supported their team effort to ruin a friend's wedding. On the one hand it wasn't any of her business to say anything to anyone about the mess that this wedding would be or why it was happening. And it would make Oliver happy to see his friends happy and no matter what she thought of them, his feelings were important to her.

On the other hand it was always fun to be a little bad and it would be interesting to see what would happen to the little team of saboteurs if someone tried to sabotage their efforts. And it was like Clark hadn't had time before Lois got engaged to make his move. This was a problem of his own making as she said before he was too slow.

Tess smirked as she decided upon her course of action.

"You know Lois." She said and stepped closer to the brunette who was just about to release her wrath on the room. "You and I are about the same size."

Lois glared at her as she still stood in front of her useless dress. "What does that matter, Mercer? I don't need you to point out the insanely obvious."

Tess had reached the small group of women congregated in front of the wedding dress and rudely squeezed her way in between Lois and Chloe. She threw the blond a mischievous gaze and the woman immediately picked up on the fact that something was up as she moved closer and closer to her fellow friend in on the plan to mess things up for Lois. A plan that now had some competition.

"Well the dress I brought to wear to the ceremony is a kind of pale off white that I think would probably work as a wedding dress. It is a full on ball gown with a full skirt so I don't see why it shouldn't be suitable for you. You have everything else you need to complete the look."

Lois looked at her with a wary and curious expression. "Why are you being nice to me? I would think that you would revel in something like this happening to me."

Tess smirked and threw a glance back to the two conniving women who stood behind her and Lois with worried expressions on their faces. She turned back to the reporter at her side.

"Lois this is your wedding, one of the most important and special days of your life. I am not a _complete_ bitch and if I have a dress you can use you are more than welcome to it. It isn't like I am sabotaging you or something ridiculous like that."

Tess threw a direct jab out to the two women and she was well aware that they would pick up on the fact that she was speaking directly to them.

Lois let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much Tess. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Tess smiled at her as Lois threw her arms around the redhead and pulled her into a tight hug that was uncanny for the two women but none the less she returned it. Tess hugged Lois back as she took another glance Chloe and Lana standing motionless in the middle of the room.

Oh they understood what she had just said.

Tess smirked at them again and decided that this would be fun.

And in the end it may work out for everyone. If Lois decided she could marry Bradley but would rather be with Clark then she deserved that chance to come up with that on her own terms and not because her friends tricked her into it.

Tess snuggled in a little to the hug and decided that this may be best for everyone involved.

* * *

End of Chapter 13.

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	14. Chapter 14

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 14

* * *

Clark sat on the bed in his room watching the two women pace back and forth in front of him whispering expletives in references to the one and only Tess Mercer. Apparently when he had sworn her to secrecy he should have also convinced her to join their efforts. It was sort of implied, he had thought, when he had told her of all of their plans that she would have to side with him.

He should have known. Tess and he never got along so why should this be different?

She had come to Lois' rescue with the wedding dress catastrophe and had made it obvious to Chloe and Lana that she had done it simply to dispute the efforts that they had all put in to make sure that no one would be getting married any time soon.

So now Lois had a perfectly lovely dress (according to Lana and Chloe) to walk down the aisle in and their sabotaging the dress made no difference than to upset Lois momentarily.

Clark raised a hand to his face and roughly ran it over his features trying to wrap his head around the knowledge that all of his plans to sweep Lois off her feet before her wedding by making it difficult for her to get married at all were going to get a lot tougher in the upcoming days just because Ollie couldn't keep his mouth shut and his mind focused around his girlfriend.

Wait a minute, he thought.

He dropped his hand suddenly, and looked at his friends. "Why exactly am I being cussed out for this? I did not slip up and mention anything, _Oliver_ was the one that slipped and then we were forced to tell Tess. She threatened to tell Lois about the dress so we had to tell her. Didn't you listen to my story?"

They had stormed into his room only moments ago completely pissed off at him and both were fuming about something that had happened with Tess.

That was when he had had to tell them about how the redhead (and Jimmy to Chloe's surprise) had stumbled upon their sabotage plans and it had gotten him into even more trouble with the girls. Telling Tess ruined everything according to them and Clark had to agree but in his defense when he had spilled the beans it wasn't his intention to knock over their house of cards.

Plus, it _really_ wasn't his fault he had had to tell her.

Lana stopped on her heel and stared him down. "We heard every word and you deserve to get the tongue lashing for it."

Clark looked at her incredulously before looking to Chloe for some sort of help with his plight considering that Oliver deserved some of the blame at least. But she just gave him a shrug of the shoulders without ever stopping as she continued to pace the room.

"She has a point. Besides, this isn't for Oliver's benefit that we have been working for, it's yours." Chloe said and plopped down in the chair in front of the desk that was pushed up against the wall next to his bed.

Clark couldn't disagree with that one bit so he just sighed in a way that he knew was overly dramatic but at the moment he couldn't care less. It was upsetting that Tess was starting to work against them, and truth be told she was a worthy opponent. As a defense attorney, and a highly successful one at that, she knew exactly how to poke holes in someone else's' strategy.

"So what are we going to do?" He asked and lay back on the bed as he stared up at the ceiling of his room. It was a very nice and comfy room that was decorated in a very inviting way that made him to think of how he would be able to compete with a guy that could provide Lois with a whole castle to themselves for their wedding.

He tried to convince himself that she wasn't looking for money and power which was true but at the same time the grand décor of the castle was overwhelming and messing with his self-esteem.

And he had only seen the hallways and his room so far.

Clark felt the bed dip as Lana sat down next to him and patted him on the leg in a reassuring manner that was only enough to rip him from his musings. It wasn't enough to cure his worrying thoughts.

"I don't know what we can do now. All of our plans for messing with this wedding were made from Metropolis. I can't think of anything else that we can do here in Scotland." Chloe commented.

"The only thing we can do is—"Lana cut herself off and shook her head. "No I don't think we should. It is too underhanded and dirty."

Clark picked up his head from the pillow and gave her a quizzical look. "What were you going to say?"

"Yeah," Chloe countered as well.

Lana seemed unsure as she chewed on her bottom lip in a nervous gesture and a hesitant look on her face as she stuttered for a few moments.

Clark rolled his eyes. "Lana now is not the time to get shy. I can't imagine what else you could think of that is too underhanded and dirty to at least try it."

He almost couldn't believe the words as they came out of his mouth. Until that moment Clark had left a lot of the real sabotaging plots to the girls as he tried to work his charms on Lois from the sidelines. It showed Clark how much he really wanted to have a chance with Lois without the interference of anyone else. The only way that he was going to get that opportunity, unfortunately, was to mess with her wedding.

"I was just going to say that the only thing we can do now is to create actual friction between Lois and Bradley." Lana explained. "Up 'til this point we have messed with trivial things, well not trivial things but material things mostly and it would seem the only thing left to do is refocus our attention from disrupting the ceremony to actually breaking up the couple."

Chloe jumped up from her seat with a renewed bounce in her step. "That is brilliant! Of course that is what we have to do. Tess can fix most of the things we messed with already but she can't dispute the fact that Bradley and Lois don't know each other and don't have many things in common."

Clark smiled at her childlike enthusiasm and felt a relief wash over his being and was surprised that he didn't agree with Lana about it being too underhanded. Gosh, was he turning into a horrible person? Normally, he would worry about how awful this was but right now he was just trying to accomplish this goal.

He would worry about the consequences later if only he could make sure Lois was his to be with or he at least had a shot.

"Are you sure that this is right, Chloe?" Lana asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

Chloe threw her a weird look as she headed toward the door. "Like any of the other stuff we have done is right? It is too late to get fussy over such things, Lana. Besides, this was your idea in the first place!"

Lana stood up and followed her to the door. "What are we going to do?"

"I am not too sure right not but how about we go have a little chat with my soon to be former future cousin-in-law."

The door shut behind them as they walked out and never gave him a second glance. Clark laughed a little at their sometimes absurd behavior and how they could get so caught up in a conversation that they couldn't even tell him goodbye as they both left.

He jumped up from his spot on the luxurious bed in the middle of his room and wandered over toward the window. Clark truly was overwhelmed by the beauty he had seen at Dalhousie Castle and it was almost enough to make him forget why he was there in the first place.

Clark stared out the window at the river that lay outside on the grounds. Why did this place have to be so pretty? What Clark really wanted to know was why couldn't he be the one that Lois was marrying in this gorgeous castle instead of some blonde prick who didn't deserve her?

He sighed.

Bradley wasn't a prick, and it wasn't that he didn't deserve Lois. She just deserved to be loved by someone who could completely understand her little nuances, and appreciate her for the magnificent person she was.

When it came down to it Clark just knew that he was the guy for Lois. Not Bradley.

If he could just get a chance to talk to her he knew that it would make all of the difference.

And as if his very thoughts had conjured her into reality someone came pounding on his door with the most obnoxious knock he had ever heard and he knew exactly who it belonged to.

Clark smiled and walked over to the door quickly before opening it to reveal a very nervous and distressed looking Lois. She ran into the middle of the room and turned around as he stood dumbly at the door with it wide open.

"Shut the door, Smallville!" Lois berated and motioned for him to close the door with her arms flaying wildly all over. Clark obliged immediately.

He walked away from the door and into the room to stand close to her. "What is going on?"

Lois sighed heavily. "My Dad just arrived."

"The General is here?" Clark asked.

"No actually this is just The Colonel my other father and he brought you some crispy chicken. Seriously, Clark," Lois asked and rolled her eyes. "Of course it is The General!"

Clark smiled at her animated gestures as she began to ring her hands together in front of her and she tried to calm herself by breathing slowly in and out. These were two of the few telltale signs that Lois had that she wasn't keeping her 'good under pressure' reporter attitude reigned in over her nerves.

It just wasn't like Lois to become nervous at the thought or sight of her father. It made him wonder what was so special about this particular visit that had her in such frenzy she basically running scared.

He closed the distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders to shake her roughly and attempted to capture her attention.

"Lois, what is wrong with you? You need to snap out of it!" Clark said loudly as she stared into his eyes still nervous. "This is just your father, remember."

Lois shook her head vigorously. "It isn't just my Dad, Clark! It's Lucy too!"

Clark leaned back a little in shock as he took in her serious facial features. "Lucy? How did that happen? You tried to find her a while ago and she had disappeared somewhere in Mexico."

Lucy's presence better explained the state that Lois was in. Lucy always managed to rattle her sister's cages more than even her father had on occasion. She was a free spirit and Lois usually got saddled with all of the responsibility that her sister bulked at taking care of on her own.

Lois looked at him dejectedly at his comments. "Thanks for pointing out the oh-so obvious, Clark."

She pulled herself away from his hands and turned toward his window but collapsed down on the bench at the foot of his bed and looked up at him. Lois threw her hands up in the air.

"Can you believe this? Not only am I getting married but my very own unexpected family reunion. What more could a girl ask for?"

"A trip to Disneyland," He offered and received a sly smile in reward.

Clark smiled as he joined her on the little cushioned bench and bumped his shoulder with hers in a manner that always cheered her up. It worked this time too because Lois laughed a little before she laid her head on his shoulder.

He turned his head toward hers and buried his face into her hair and moved to put an arm around her waist. Lois returned the action in kind as she wrapped her arms around his chest and burrowed into his warmth.

They stayed like that for several long moments. Clark mused that their silence wasn't awkward or comfortable; it just was natural to them. It was like it was something they had created themselves for themselves and because of this it was completely unique to them.

And a part of him hoped that if the silence could be named that its name would be love.

Clark worked up the courage to break their silence and normally wouldn't dream of doing such an awful thing but now was the perfect time to say something. It wouldn't get any better than that.

"Lois—"

**Knock. Knock.**

"Don't answer it." Lois pleaded with him and it was just enough to take his focus from his dashed hopes that Clark had been mere seconds away from telling his best friend he was in love with her and was interrupted.

It still did his heart good that she had wanted that moment and their embrace to go on as long as it possibly could. Still it wasn't logical to assume that they could stay in there for the rest of the night.

"It might not be them."

Lois lifted her head up and stared him, "Yeah, right. And today it was declared that you are a better reporter than I am and demons are skating on ice in hell."

Clark feigned a look of deep hurt and pulled back from her completely and put one hand on his chest and in a matter of fact manner said. "I am a better reporter than you."

Lois laughed out loud heartily and shook her head. "Go and open the door you farmboy. And in the process you should recheck your grip on reality because I think you are starting to go mental."

Clark shook his head and walked toward the door before he got there he took a deep breath in preparation for what resided on the other side. Lois may get flustered when her sister was around but one of the scariest things in the world to him was her Dad. Especially when he knew that her father wasn't going to be pleased with any of the latest happenings in his oldest daughter's life.

He put a somewhat shaky hand on the door handle and opened it to reveal a red faced older man with his gaze directed behind Clark. Next to him was a young woman with honey colored hair and a sparkling smile on her face.

"Clark!" Lucy greeted and pushed passed her father toward him and threw her arms around him in a welcoming hug. He awkwardly returned it as he watched Sam Lane walk toward the middle of the room and toward Lois as she stood stone still waiting for him.

Lucy exited her embrace just as quickly as she had thrust it upon the unassuming man as if they were long lost friends and moved on to the sister and father she had in the middle of Clark's room that were currently interlocked in an awkward silence.

Clark shut the door behind everyone and stood close to General Lane and watched as Lois cracked a soft smile at her Dad.

"Hello Daddy."

"Lois." He greeted in return. "I have to say I was certainly surprised by your phone call… well phone messaging telling me I was invited to your wedding."

Lois steeled her eyes. "What else was I supposed to do? You were supposed to be at the base but when I called all I got was the run around. It isn't like I only tried to reach you that one time and you never returned my messages. So I left you a voice mail. No biggie."

Clark couldn't see the expression on her father's face but he could guess it was the same look of emotionless determination that it usually held. "You know that what I do is none of your concern but it isn't the ideal way of learning that your daughter is getting married to a man you have never met and he is a man that she just met a few weeks ago."

"I don't need to explain my reasons behind why I am going to marry Bradley. If you still believe that this isn't the best course of action for me to take after you have my Bradley then you don't have to attend the ceremony much less walk me down the aisle. Your disapproval isn't going to stop me."

Clark was honestly a little surprised by the emotion in her voice and the sheer honesty and sincerity of her words. It was a rare moment for Lois because when she and her father were able to open and upfront with much prodding from either side.

"You're still my daughter, Lois." Sam said softly. "I am going to be there for your wedding whether you like it or not."

Lois smiled from ear to ear and shrugged her shoulders in an attempt to shake off the heaviness of the moment. "Good then we are on the same page."

"I guess so." The General replied before clearing his throat and looking back toward the door. "I suppose I should go and find his parents and introduce myself."

"I will go with you." Lois said and the both made their way toward Clark. As she passed him Lois grabbed his hand and separated a little from her father.

"You're coming too." She demanded but Clark looked toward his suitcase.

"I wanted to—"

Lois looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "You are coming with me."

Clark smiled at her and nodded. "Yes I am."

She let go of his hand and sauntered out the door after her father and he smiled wider at her in appreciation for her wide arrange of emotions and her many ways to deal with them. It was so Lois to go from totally emotional with her father to slightly nervous about a meeting between her in-laws and her father in a matter of moments.

Clark was suddenly punched in the shoulder by Lucy and ripped from his thoughts. He looked at her with a curious expression as she smirked back at him. It was that all knowing smirk she sometimes wore around him.

"What is it?" Clark asked a little scared of the answer.

Lucy shook her head and nodded her chin out toward the door to indicate the people that had just left before looking back at him.

"I was just wondering if you could be more in love with my sister than you are at this moment."

And she was barely finished with her sentence before she flitted through the door after her family and left Clark in a complete daze standing in his room wondering one thing.

Was the only person that wasn't aware Clark was in love with Lois, _Lois_?

* * *

End of Chapter 14.

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	15. Chapter 15

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 15

* * *

The Orangery was the beautiful restaurant that was located in Dalhousie that provided a guest with a slightly more cozy and fresh atmosphere than the castle's more formal dining areas. It was a nice little getaway for Lois as she sat drinking her coffee. And it was a cup of the most delicious coffee she had ever remembered drinking so that was also adding to her sunny disposition.

She sighed to herself and flipped the page of her book. It was reward enough that she could get away from everything that had been buzzing all around her for the last couple of days and the delectable java was like the cherry on top.

It had been so hectic and it was a lot more taxing then she had ever imagined planning a wedding would be.

She was starting to feel a little bad for Chloe who was inevitably the next one to tackle the wedding extravaganza challenge when she married Jimmy. The poor woman had no idea what was in store for her. At the same time, the girls had been helping a lot on this wedding so her cousin may not have a ton of trouble planning her own nuptials.

Although, if the truth were known a lot of things had gone wrong and it wasn't escaping her notice that her two bridesmaids had been acting very secretive since she got engaged. But it wasn't as if any of the mishaps had been on purpose or anything ridiculous like that.

Not that she knew of anyway. They had all appeared to be accidents or simple human error.

It was just that all of the things that had gone wrong were things that she had left up to Chloe and Lana to sort out. Yesterday when the shoes for the ceremony arrived they had been all two sizes too large and the color was absolutely freaking ugly and didn't match anything that was supposed to be a part of the wedding.

Then there were the flights of some of her guests that had been scattered all over Europe. Mrs. Kent had landed in Brussels which had been the final destination on her ticket and Perry had gone from Madrid to Paris to Munich which had been his final destination. Needless to say that he was pissed. And so she had been too.

And even though Chloe and Lana had run around like frantic maniacs trying to correct these travel errors they always came back with no success. Lois would have loved to handle the situation herself but she had been at a dress fitting in the local town with her future mother in law trying to make Tess' dress the best it could be for the ceremony when it had all gone down. Marianne had told her to leave it up to the girls to sort out and that nothing had been more important than making sure the dress fit properly.

Lois had let go of her bull dog like need to fix the problems and just let Chloe and Lana do it instead except they never did.

Funnily enough, her redheaded gown giver had been the one to come to her rescue once again when she had arranged for Oliver's private jet to pick up both Mrs. Kent and Perry so that both would make it on time to the wedding. Both had arrived hours ago safe and sound if not a little less worse for the wear as both had settled into their rooms.

The travel arrangements, her wedding dress, and the shoes had all been responsibilities that were supposed to be handled by Chloe and Lana who were usually very trust worthy with such important tasks. It made Lois wonder whether it was divine intervention that was messing things up so often and so much or something a little bit closer to home.

If anything else were to go wrong she may just have to start contemplating the idea that all of these things had been done on purpose.

Lois drew out a long and soothing breath to calm her frustrated thoughts. All of the problems had been fixed and everything was on course so she wasn't going to let it bother her as she enjoyed the beautiful view of Scotland in front of her or her favorite book.

She sat there for a few more moments quietly basking in the warmth of the room and the sun coming in through the windows. Lois was lost in the words in front of her and she never noticed the person sitting next to her.

That is until they spoke.

"A little tragic love story a few days before you walk down the aisle? It seems slightly cynical but what else could I expect from you."

Lois smiled as his deep voice floated over her body and warmed her heart. She never even looked up from _Wuthering Heights_ before she answered.

"Try a little indulgence in the most powerful and epic story of love ever told. And the fact that I am about to get married is inconsequential because this book can and should be enjoyed whenever, and wherever a person gets the chance."

"You know you are so predictable." Clark said in a matter of fact tone and that immediately caused her to whip her head up to meet his eyes.

She glared at him. "_Predictable_?"

Clark raised his hands in surrender. "Let me explain before you bite my head off, okay? You are predictable when it comes to this book."

Lois regarded him carefully as her curiosity peaked. "What do you mean?"

Clark shrugged and poured himself some coffee. "You just love that book. And a moment ago when I walked in you were completely oblivious to anything going on around you, I could tell you were reading, and the only time I see you so engrossed in a book is when it is this one."

Lois smiled a little but not enough that she hoped he would notice. It was such a comforting and almost exciting thought to know that even the little things about her personality, little things she thought only she knew, were things that Clark knew too. How much she loved this book wasn't something that she shared with anyone except the person who had introduced it to her in the first place, her mother.

Lois quickly shook off her thoughts and grinned at her friend. "So you know I love this book that doesn't mean you have an upper hand or anything. This happens to be a classic, respected piece of literature while your Brainy Smurf boxers are ammo that I have to easily embarrass you at any given time on any given day."

Clark looked defeated, leaning back in his seat, and suddenly shocked. "How do you know about that?"

Lois shrugged and looked back at her book. "I just know things Kent. I just know."

A silence settled upon them which caught her a little off guard because she was expecting a quip back in response. Every other time Clark attempted to throw a verbal insult of some kind back at her even when it would not top hers or even when he knew she was right which she usually was. That didn't mean he ever stopped trying to top her.

So she glanced up from her book to see what had happened and saw he was leaned over in his chair with his elbows on his knees staring at her intently with a surprisingly serious look over his handsome features.

Lois immediately set her coffee back down and let her book fall into her lap. She scooted in closer to him and placed a hand on his knee in a comforting manner.

"Clark is there something wrong?" She asked quietly. The nervous agitation in his overall demeanor was quickly accelerating her heart rate. "Whatever is on your mind Clark just spit it out. You know I'll listen."

He drew out a long breath in an attempt to shake off the anxiousness that was rolling off him in waves but failed.

"Seriously, Clark."

Clark then smiled at her brilliantly and wiped his hands on his jeans before sitting up straight in his chair and giving her a very odd look. It wasn't something that she could really identify; it was soft yet intense and it gave her chills down her spine while simultaneously heating her skin.

"Lois I have something I really need to tell you about… myself and a change that has occurred in my life." He started and for some reason her heart constricted and her mind jumped to a very weird place without her control.

And she got scared that he was going to confess he had fallen in love with some girl he randomly met off the street and that they had already gotten serious.

Wait a second, wasn't that what Lois had done to him when she stepped off the plane and casually introduced Bradley to Clark? Was this the kind of panic that he felt when he first heard she was engaged? She was suddenly heartbroken over the possible idea she may have been causing him so much pain all this time and been completely oblivious to it. And there was this large part of her that was hoping that whatever he had to say did not involve some chick he may have fallen for because Lois couldn't face losing Clark.

"Lois, are you okay?" Clark asked abruptly and pulled her out of her panic stricken thoughts and back into the moment with him.

"What?" She whispered. "What? No—I'm fine."

"It's just that you went really pale in the face a second ago. Do you feel all right? Do you feel sick to your stomach or something because I am sure we can get something for you. I am gonna go and ask a waiter if they have some crackers or ginger ale for you."

He went to stand up as he pushed himself out of his chair and was almost a few feet away from her when she threw out her hand and caught his wrist halting him in his stride.

Clark looked down at her with worry replacing all other unidentifiable emotions that had been on his face in the past few minutes. She needed to know one thing before he went to get her something to settle her stomach which was a pretty good idea if only because it would give her the chance to collect her thought in private.

"Did you meet someone?" Lois whispered and her voice was shaking more than she wanted it to and she prayed he wouldn't pick up on it.

Clark gave her a curious look of questioning and immediately knelt down next to her chair so that he was eye level with her still sitting in her chair. And as Lois noticed that their faces were inches apart, felt the hotness of his breath on her face, the subtle pink of his lips, she was absolutely still and unable to move a muscle even if she wanted to.

And as Lois moved her eyes from his eyes to his lips she realized the last thing she wanted to do was move from her spot.

Clark furrowed his eyebrows over his captivating blue orbs and frowned as he continued to look at her curiously. "What?"

Lois somehow found the nerve to talk, "Did you meet someone? Someone special?"

And the smile that crossed his features in that moment broke her heart and warmed her soul in an almost painful twist of emotions that seemed to overload her senses.

She took a deep breath and prepared herself to hear whatever it was he had to say about this someone special that had captured her Clark's attention and tried to convince herself not to hate this awful chick, whoever she was.

Then a horrible thought occurred to her and she pulled back from him in horror with her eyes so wide she thought they might pop out of her skull.

"It's not Lana, is it?"

Clark blanched and took some space for himself as he shook his head and started to chuckle a little. And it was that low rumbling chuckle that shook his shoulders and made his beautiful hair fall over his face… it was something she loved.

"Lana?" Clark repeated. "Me and Lana? Are you kidding me, Lois? I would no sooner date Lana then I would Chloe—no make that Tess!"

And Lois blew out a breath of relief and then apparently she forgot herself because she then casually and stupidly asked again.

"Who is she then?" Lois instantly regretted the words as they hung in the air because it wasn't like she wanted an answer to that question unless maybe the answer was her own name.

Wait. Where did that come from?

She shook off her thoughts and Clark smiled softly at her as he opened his mouth to answer and she steeled herself in preparation for his next words.

"Well actually it's—"

"Clark! Buddy, there you are!"

And Lois watched as disappointment washed over Clark's face as he leaned back in an almost defeated manner and turned his head to the voice of the person who had intruded upon their moment.

A moment of what she wasn't sure quite yet and a part of her was a little happy she did not have to analyze it.

Lois turned to see who else was coming their way because she knew that it was unlikely Oliver was traveling the castle this early in the morning all alone and sure enough he was flanked by Jimmy and Timothy and Philip, two of Bradley's cousins that had really gotten along well with the boys since they had arrived.

They had all bonded together the way that Lois had hoped Bradley would when she had first brought him to Metropolis to meet everyone. Oddly, they hadn't found much in common the few times all of the guys had been forced by the women to interact. And if she were being completely honest, the lack of interest Bradley had showed in her friends was bothering her quite a bit. It wasn't that animosity existed between Jimmy, Clark, Oliver, and Bradley but there certainly wasn't any friendly chemistry sparks exploding between them either.

Lois looked back at Clark who was now standing with his hands stuffed in his pockets and as she watched his face… she noticed that he seemed to be glowering at Oliver.

Lois furrowed her eyebrows together briefly before shaking it off and standing up herself and she smiled at all four of the men in front of her. She noticed they all had goofy and excited grins on their faces but none of them surpassed Ollie's.

Then she saw what he was casually carrying in his hand. "Ollie! What are you doing with an arrow? Where did you even get that?"

Oliver grinned. "I got it from the archery. And that is exactly why we came to find Clarkie. We want him to tag along."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Did you need another for your band of merry men?"

"Robin Hood jokes, seriously? I thought you were above that, Lois." Oliver quipped, "Unless you are looking to be my Maid Marian, although I am more inclined to reserve that title for Tess."

"Oh I am so let down. How will I ever be able to recover from the disappointment of not being able to be your damsel in distress?" She sighed dramatically and frowned.

"You could challenge Tess for the title if you're so terribly upset. I think that may benefit all of us gentlemen, correct." Oliver replied.

Jimmy snorted. "Lois is like family to me. So I think I'll pass, dude."

Lois smiled at Jimmy and he nodded his head at her before she returned her gaze to Oliver who was still casually handling the arrow he held.

"And while we're on the subject of things we would rather not see I would like to officially vote no against seeing you, any of you as a matter of fact, in tights." Lois said before she turned toward the table. She downed the last of her hot coffee in one gulp and picked up her book which was resting on the chair she had been sitting in and before returned her attention to the group of men with her.

They started to converse amongst themselves about the activities they had to look forward to all around her and she took that as her cue to make a hasty exit. It wasn't the macho talk of the guys that was prompting her to leave but the awkward and intense tension that seemed to exist between her and Clark.

It was so thick that Lois was surprised no one else had picked up on it yet or cut right through it with any of the accessible butter knives in the room.

"Boys I really should be going. Lots of wedding stuff to fix—I mean to take care of so I better be on my _merry_ way." She scooted along the side of the men without a second glance toward any of them including Clark.

~X~

Lois retreated to the confines of her room because she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone about anything and least of all she did not want to talk about the wedding. Plus if she avoided that conversation all together the chances of hearing about more catastrophes would be considerably less. She lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed, that had the impossibly comfortable mattress, with a million different thoughts running through her head.

And all of them had something to do with Clark.

She knew at times their relationship was uneven and maybe a little unfair. There had been situations that he had basically rescued her from but some had gone without appropriate gratitude shown on her part. Lois knew that was true, and she was also aware that Clark knew she was always thankful even if she didn't say it out loud. But now she was facing her own selfish behavior that had flared up this morning when he had tried to tell her about his new girlfriend or whatever she was.

Lois didn't want to know and that was exactly the problem. How could she have expected him, all of this time, to simply accept Bradley and his intrusion into their life? The possible intrusion of his own girlfriend so suddenly wasn't something she was ready to accept because it just wasn't something he had ever forced her to get used to. Girlfriends weren't something that Clark had in his life very often. Sure, he had gone out on a few dates here and there over the years but it never led to anything serious so she never had to worry.

What if this new girl in his life was serious? Just like Bradley had been serious right off the bat.

Lois groaned and threw her hands over her eyes in frustration. How could she have done that to him? She remembered how she had just happily blurted out her engagement news right in the middle of the airport. Had Clark been in pain all of this time? Had he been frustrated and confused? Had he been at a loss for what to do about the upcoming permanent change in their friendship?

All of this time had Clark been upset about potentially losing their friendship? Was that how he saw it because when she suddenly thought that that may happen if he were to become involved with someone especially if it were to become or already was serious. So it could be how Clark felt too.

"Shit." She whispered out into the stillness of the air in her room and moved up a little on her bed and went to rest her head and snuggle in to hopefully lose herself to sleep when there was a knock at the door.

She groaned again as she moved up and flung her legs over the side of the bed, and placed her bare feet on the warm, cushy carpet of her room, and gently padded to move to the door and unceremoniously tell whoever it was to go to hell because she was not in the mood to visit.

"Look I don't care if there has been another wedding meltdown. If the flowers are ugly or fake even, the tuxes don't fit or the cake is lopsided all of it will wait until later or it can just stay that way for all I care." She called through the door as she went to open it.

But the person on the other side of the door would not be able to tell her of any mishaps with the wedding. She also felt her breath constrict in her throat and her heart sped up. Her hand rested on the door still as he moved into the room without invitation forcing her to step back to allow his entry.

"Clark?" She whispered as she moved back into the room and he shut the door as he advanced on her in the room. The tension that had existed between them that morning hung in the air around them once again but it was a heck of lot easier to identify now.

Lois stood in the middle of the room staring at Clark as he stared intensely back at her with the same swirling storm of emotions raging in his eyes affecting her in the same ways it had that morning. But the emotions were a lot easier to recognize too.

Lust. Longing. Frustration. They were all looking back at her from his blue eyes and she knew then that the tension that had surrounded them was sexual.

He stepped closer to her and without hesitation gathered her up into his arms. Their breathing mixed together as they both watched each other closely as they both leaned instinctively in to each other.

Lois wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged on his hair as she looked up at him just in time for Clark to join their lips in a heated kiss.

He pulled on her sweater, putting his hand on the small of her back underneath it, and she registered the heat of his strong, rough fingers on her skin. It was enough of a wonderful sensation that she opened her mouth to let out a glorious moan of arousal. Clark took that opportunity to push his tongue into her mouth and Lois met it willingly in a union of their mouths. It was soft and warm and it was creating dizzying hotness all over her body that radiated down to her stomach.

It sent them into even more of frenzy. He pulled her closer as she tugged on his hair to create even less distance between their mouths as they dueled for and acquiesced power of control of the kiss to one another in a fantastic battle.

Lois' felt Clark pull her into his chest and run his hand up her neck before tangling his fingers in her hair and she could feel the want he had for her in his touch, and his impatience. Lois met it with equal fervor and she knew that this kiss wouldn't be enough for her or for him.

Now that she had tasted Clark it wouldn't ever be enough.

Lois withdrew one hand from his hair as they continued the hot and intense push and pull kiss they had started which neither wanted to stop, and she moved it slowly down his hard, defined chest and went to tug on his belt buckle.

He must have felt it because he let out the sexiest, most animalistic growl that Lois had ever heard and she softly smiled against his lips in satisfaction. That would just be the beginning and Lois pulled away to tell him just that when the worst thing happened.

There was a knock at the door.

It interrupted them but not as abruptly as Lois had been expecting because neither of them moved very far apart. Clark pulled back his head from her as Lois reluctantly gave up her quest to unbuckle his belt.

She stared at Clark and Lois knew that the disappointment that shined in his eyes was reflected back at him through her own. His cheeks were flushed, and his breathing was heavy but the frustration in his eyes had increased tenfold since he had entered the room without a word.

There was another knock at the door and it shook off the lingering lust that filled their bodies and the moment.

Lois looked to the door and back at Clark. It was enough to jolt him into standing at his full height and ran a hand through his hair to calm it down and then ran that same hand over his face and let it drag over his red lips.

And that action was doing nothing to display the lust that still raced through her veins but she gathered the courage to be the one to break the silence. "I should get that."

"Yeah," He nodded and stood to the side as she made her way to the door. Lois passed the mirror on the dresser as she did so and patted down her own hair from its wild ways and took a deep breath hoping to calm down her heaving too.

Then she once again put her hand on the door to open it. A frantic looking Lana stood on the other side but it still wasn't enough shake the optimistic smile from her petite features as she waved a hesitant greeting.

"Hey Lo! You busy?" Lana asked and stepped into the room without waiting for an answer. "No? Great."

"Sure, come in Lana." Lois said as she stood watching her friend bounce into the middle of the room and then noticed Clark standing there in the room but failed to notice his disheveled appearance.

"Hey Clark! How's it going? Good? Fantastic. I was hoping to talk to Lois in private so if you could do me a favor and leave that would be great, thanks." Her words rushed out of her mouth and it look to take Clark by surprise even given what had happened.

"Um, sure. I guess." Clark said as he started toward the door.

Lois watched him helplessly as she stood by the door. He sent her a desperate look of defeat but his eyes were just getting more and more intense every time he looked at her. And now that she knew what it meant it was doing nothing on her turbulent emotions.

She sent him a look of pleading but said nothing as he strode passed her and out of the door before disappearing in the hallway and Lois was too upset to watch him go any further so she blindly shut the door behind him.

Lois lifted her head to her brunette friend and tried not to be upset or annoyed with her presence and what it had interrupted.

She put a hand on her hip and only _slightly_ glared at her friend. "What is it Lana?"

Lana stared up at her friend with wide eyes. "I think I am in love with Bradley's cousin Philip."

That was funny. Because Lois had a sneaking suspicion that she was in love too and it wasn't with Bradley.

* * *

End of Chapter 15.

Please Review.


	16. Chapter 16

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 16

* * *

She sat in her chair next to Bradley and tried her best to intently listen to the conversation he was engaged in with his sister, Susan. They were rambling on about the good old days when the two sisters would gang up on Bradley, making him dress up and play dolls with the girls, and whatnot.

They would be cute stories, if only Lois were interested in them even a little bit which she wasn't. Her mind kept wandering back to her room, yesterday, when Clark had walked right in and kissed her. The kiss had been so intense and unexpected and more than welcomed by Lois which was another thing that had been on her mind since then.

The fact that Lois enjoyed it so much bothered her for a few reasons among them was the fact that she was engaged to another guy, the fact that Clark was her best friend, and what in the heck motivated Clark to do something like that in the first place?

Thought it wasn't like the thought had never crossed her mind in the many years they had been friends.

She wasn't blind and it had not escaped her attention that Clark was an exceedingly good looking man. Lois had thought about kissing him once or twice, or maybe a few more times than that, over the years especially late at night in the bullpen when he had his tie undone and his hair was all ruffled.

But the reality had been so much better than any daydream she could ever have had about it except for the icky fact that she was engaged to another man. She was engaged to another man and Clark goes and decides to kiss her for the first time!

Lois smirked to herself.

Smallville never could get things done the right way, the first time.

It was hard to deny that Lois had felt something during that kiss and it was also hard to deny that it was still making her feel things nearly a day after it had happened. Those feelings were causing doubts to enter her mind about a lot of things.

Namely doubts about Bradley and their marriage tomorrow.

She lifted her eyes up from her plate and looked to her side at him. Bradley was smiling from ear to ear as he and Susan continued to chat about whatever loving family memory they had brought up and Lois felt her heart constrict within her chest.

The thing was that she truly cared about him. Bradley was a comfort to her that she had not expected at this or any point in her life. He was caring, gentle, and when she was the reason for his dazzlingly smile she felt warm and happy. They may not have been dating or known each other for very long but the weird thing was it did not feel that way. When Bradley and she were alone watching a movie or playing a game by the fire there was a familiarity that was just natural to the two of them.

So Lois and Clark had kissed but it did not change the fact that she still cared deeply for Bradley nor did it change that Lois had been ready to marry him up until yesterday and a part of her still was. That was what had her torn. It was what was keeping her from total glee about the kiss, if Clark had done it before she had left for London or at any time in their years long friendship she would have been elated about it and the prospects it brought her but he hadn't done that.

Clark had waited and there was a part of Lois wondering if he had waited too long.

Lois felt a nudge in her side and she focused her eyes on the person next to her.

Bradley leaned in closer to her and practically touched their foreheads together as concern and worry laced his beautiful eyes.

She felt a smile tug at her lips and breathed in the musky scent that he always effortlessly had around him.

"Are you okay, honey?" He whispered gently.

Lois shrugged her inconsistent, mixed feelings from her heart and head and closed the distance between she and her fiancé. She reached up her left hand and touched the roughness of his stubble on his cheek and smiled wider.

"I am doing okay. It is just a little loud in here." She answered.

Bradley smiled as wide as she was and gave the room a quick glance. For the first time the entire wedding party was assembled in the same room at various tables and in all honesty it was getting quite rowdy.

"Yeah it is a little loud in here." Bradley agreed. "Do you want to go somewhere alone for a while? Ever since we got here I feel like I have barely seen you."

Lois snorted. "That is because I have been busy fixing all those wedding mishaps since my plane practically touched the tarmac."

"Well everyone is here now and everything is all set up to go for tomorrow. So what do you say we go and enjoy some alone time before we have to separate?"

Lois smiled and nodded her head. "I think that would be perfect."

Bradley stood up first as Lois pushed back her chair and followed close behind him as they took a few steps away from their table. He turned back toward the room full of people and waved his hands in a grand farewell.

"Thank you all for such a wonderful evening." Bradley said loudly making sure everyone would hear him. "But my bride and I thought we would retire early."

"Sure you are!" A cousin called out but Lois wasn't sure which one it was. "We're all adults here! We know what you mean!"

"He better mean that he is going straight to bed! You keep your hands off that little lady until at least tomorrow night or you will have to answer to me!" Perry yelled out in response as his deep Southern accent flitted over the room.

Lois looked up and found his face among the crowd easily. "Like I couldn't take care of myself, Chief? I have proved time and again that I don't need anyone to look after me."

He nodded his head to her and winked. "Then I trust you will make sure he keeps his hands to himself. No hanky panky, you hear me!"

Lois nodded and pushed Bradley toward the door. "All right, well, we are going to go now before this conversation gets any more embarrassing for me, Bradley, and our parents."

And with a final shove out the door of the dungeon restaurant Lois and Bradley were able to escape the hysteria that was the excited gathering of family and friends. As they slipped into the dark, almost drafty hallways of the castle Lois slipped her hand inside Bradley's and tried to make the heaviness of her heart fade away.

~X~

The happy couple left a wake of drunken madness in their absence but there was one or two sober souls braving the evening without dipping into any of the liquor decanters. And Clark was among them not because he did not want to have fun and not because a drink wouldn't have helped his spirits but because drinking in celebration of the wedding was not something he could do in good conscious.

After all, it was his hope that he could stop the wedding and steal the bride. So he couldn't celebrate something he would do anything in his power to prevent from happening. And if the truth were known, he had tried everything he could think of. But all of their sabotaging attempts had met the worthy opponent of Tess Mercer and subsequently had either been shot down by her or fixed by Lois.

So even with all of the work Chloe and Lana and he had put into the project, the work wasn't producing the hoped for results. And now he was a day away from Lois being a married woman and he was getting desperate and running out of options.

The one woman left in the room that would be able to easily pick up on his sour mood, did just that as she sat down next to him and put her champagne glass on the table in front of her.

He glanced to his side and smiled at her warmly in spite of his mood.

Martha looked gorgeous in a golden pant suit that showcased every bit of red in her hair just beautifully. But it was the look of motherly concern in her eyes that really caught his attention and he knew he wasn't in for a conversation he would really want to hear.

"Hey, how are you doing?" She asked softly. "You look a little distracted sitting over here in the corner by yourself."

Clark shrugged. "I guess I am just not in the mood to celebrate."

Martha nodded as if she knew exactly what he meant and being his mother, she probably did.

"You know your father always thought that when we practiced Lois' wedding that you would be the one to be practicing the part of her future hubby."

Clark drew his head back hesitantly and gave his mother a wondering look. He wasn't expecting to hear that. "Dad thought I would marry Lois?"

Martha smiled warmly at her son and patted the hand that rested on the table in a caring and kind gesture. "You would be surprised by how early he pegged the two of you."

Clark shook his head. "Pegged the two of us? What does that mean?"

Martha took her turn to shrug her shoulders. "Clark, honey, it has been obvious to a lot of people for a very long time that you and she were sort of, well, soulmates. If I have to get cliché, I know when your Dad first suggested the idea I was a little, okay, _very_ skeptical because you do fight all of the time—

"We bicker. We don't fight." Clark corrected.

Martha smirked as if he had just proven her point. "So you say but to everyone else it looks like fighting but upon a closer look I was able to see you were not only fighting each other but fighting something you both knew was between the two of you. That is what your father saw."

Clark sighed and shook his head. "It doesn't matter what you or Dad or Jimmy or Lana or anyone else thinks about what should or should not happen between Lois and I."

Martha squeezed his hand she still held onto and her eyebrows furrowed deep in concern.

"What do you mean?"

Clark looked suspiciously around at the surrounding guests and while no one was paying them any attention and no one was really able to hear anything being said between mother and son it still wasn't best to start talking about how he had kissed the bride yesterday afternoon. Not openly at least.

So he looked back at his mom and gave her a look he hoped she would understand. "Let's just say I brought the idea up to her and she—uh—is not exactly knocking down my door for a repeat."

A look of acknowledgement passed over his mother's features and she nodded her head. "Oh. Well then all I can say is that you shouldn't give up so easily just yet. All of those people that surround the two of you that have seen something worthwhile in your relationship with Lois, we aren't making it up."

Clark sighed again. "What should I do, Mom?"

Martha shook her head. "You're a grown man. I can't tell you what to do but I think in the end, things will work out for you and Lois. Just have a little faith. Your Dad had faith and I think that he was very right about you and her all of those years ago."

Clark and his mother then lapsed into conversations about her job in Washington, his job at the Planet, and other miscellaneous things that they didn't get to talk about on a day to day basis because there was so much distance separating them. And for a moment Clark was able to forget his troubles and just enjoy his mother's company.

~X~

The night was slowly but steadily drifting deeper and deeper into darkness. And all he could do was sit on his bed and watch the minutes tick by on the clock that sat on the table next to his bed in the castle. The party had broken up shortly after the two guests of honor had left and everyone had scattered back to their rooms to get some shut eye in preparation for the big day they had tomorrow.

And Clark had done the same except that sleep wasn't coming to him and he was still in his evening's formal attire as he lay stretched out on top of the covers of his bed. He hadn't seen Lois since she had left the dinner and they hadn't been alone since yesterday when they kissed.

He was getting desperate and frantic and he was totally out of options.

**Knock. Knock.**

Clark felt his heart leap into his chest as the quiet sound filled his room and his treacherous heart was full with hope that perhaps… it was her. If it was Lois then he was certain she was coming to talk to him about their kiss.

That alone was enough to keep his mind firmly set on hoping that despite the late hour things may still change for the better as he stood quickly from his bed. He was at the door within seconds of the first knocking on the wood and before he could totally collect himself he had flung it open to reveal the woman on the other side.

And his heart did a nose dive from his chest to the pit of his stomach and his shoulders slumped in disappointment as he took in the glare on her face, the hand resting on her hip in anger, and the gleam of red in her hair as the hallway light shone down on her.

It was Tess.

"What do you want?" He barked at her as his own anger flared within him. She was never the person he wanted to see.

But she wasn't fazed by his harsh tone as she glided effortlessly into his bedroom, also still clad in her deep emerald evening gown from the night's festivities. It never seemed to occur to her to ask permission for entry into the room and he stood dumbly by and let her pass. Tess reached the center of the room and regarded it with careful consideration as if his guest room was still a reflection on the poor character she thought he had before speaking.

"I was just on my way back to my room and I was thinking about what an unimaginable coward you are. So when I passed by your door I was unable to resist the temptation to get an answer to my question."

Her words struck a chord in him immediately.

Clark left the door open as he turned toward Tess and glared furiously at her back as the anger within him continued to climb. He could feel the blood begin to boil in his veins and he briefly wondered why he allowed himself to get so worked up by this vindictive woman. It was exactly what she wanted out of him but then he remembered that if it hadn't been for her then some of his attempts to stop the wedding may have actually worked. When he thought about it that way Tess deserved all of the ill feelings he harbored for her.

And since she had been nice enough to come to his room just to piss him off, Clark thought it was time he gave her an ear full as to what _he_ thought of _her_ character.

"I am a coward?" Clark repeated indignantly. "What are you talking about, Mercer? I am not a coward. You have been going all around this castle acting like Lois' best freaking gal pal just to make sure she ends up in a loveless marriage to a man she barely knows because you like to see me sweat. You are an evil person. And a hypocrite! You don't care about what happens to anyone as long as you get a little fun for yourself, it doesn't matter if it comes at someone else's expense."

Tess turned her head to him over her shoulder and he could see one perfectly manicured eyebrow was raised at him. All of the hurtful words he had spilled out at her seemed to have no effect on her cool as a cucumber persona and it just went to further prove his point that she had no heart or any feeling or consideration for others.

She was a bitch.

"You _are_ a coward Clark. We both know that if you weren't a coward then Lois wouldn't be getting married tomorrow."

Clark felt his nose flare as his fury began to reach new heights. "You are the one that made sure that everything is perfectly ready for the nuptials. You are the one to blame!"

Tess turned around and calmly smiled at him. "Do you really think that those childish, immature attempts at sabotage would have given you what you really wanted? You are all supposed to be Lois' best friends and you saw it fit to manipulate her into giving you a chance. You were ready to make her pay for your laziness and the fact that it took you years to really listen to your fucking heart. And you say I am evil. It isn't like she trusts me or anything but you? What do you think she would do if she found out about your little scheme? Do you think that would help or hurt your cause?"

Clark opened his mouth to rebuke her words but found that he couldn't because it was all true.

And in that instant all of the pent up anger he had had washed out of him like a river running to the ocean and he stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at the woman in front of him glumly.

"What else was I supposed to do, Tess? I love her." He asked quietly.

And for the first time, she seemed to show a flicker of actual emotion across her pretty features and stepped closer to him.

"Listen, I did what I did so that when you actually got the balls to tell Lois how you felt it wouldn't be tainted with manipulation and sabotage. If you are actually going to be together it shouldn't be because you stole her options and choices but because she knows in her heart that you are what she wants. I thought it would be better that way but I never considered that with the wedding looming so close you would still wait to be honest with her about your feelings."

Clark looked at her with hesitation and distrust. "You cleaned up after our attempts at sabotage out of the goodness of your heart?"

Tess laughed. "Maybe or maybe I just enjoyed seeing Chloe and Lana running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to come up with other options. It was quite fun for me no matter the motivation."

Clark couldn't help but laugh too because her assessment was more than accurate of how the two women had been acting since they had gotten to Scotland.

He stared down at his shoes, slipping deeper into his heartbreak, and didn't notice that Tess had come to stand in front of him.

"Kent, I need an answer to my question."

Clark looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows. "You didn't ask a question."

Tess smirked. "Well then here it is; when will you stop being a coward and go after what you really want? It is the end of the fourth quarter, there's two minutes left, and you only have time for one Hail Mary pass down the field."

Clark shook his head and went to speak but she cut him off with a fierce look.

"Stop making excuses. Stop shaking your head and being a broody, bitchy, farmboy and go be up front with Lois. Go now." Tess demanded.

Then before he knew what had hit him Tess had put both of her hands squarely on his chest and gave him one quick, very violent shove backward. It sent him stumbling through the still open door and he completely lost his balance from the total shock of the moment and the amount of strength she was able to exert over him. It shouldn't have surprised him but as he landed on his bottom in the middle of the hallway, it did surprise him that Tess was so strong.

She quickly followed him into the hall and closed his bedroom door behind as she smirked down at him sitting on the floor in embarrassment and shock.

Clark looked at her in disbelief. "What was that for? My key is in there! I can't get back into my room Tess! What the hell?"

"Good to know I locked you out." Tess said as she began to walk away from him. He watched her get further and further as he was still sitting on his butt on the hard floor and she continued to saunter in her gown down the hall.

"You know where her room is. Go now." And with that she rounded a corner and disappeared from his sight.

As Clark got his bearings, brushed himself off, and stood up to his full height, he looked to his door then to one end of the hall before turning his gaze to the other end, and smirked to himself as he started down the way Tess had ordered him to go. As he did he had one of the weirdest thoughts he had ever had in his life.

Tess may not be a complete bitch, after all.

* * *

End of Chapter 16.

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	17. Chapter 17

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 17

* * *

Lois sat at the vanity in her bedroom and openly, blankly stared at the reflection of her face in the mirror. Her brain, it seemed, had run itself ragged with thoughts, feelings, and anything else related to the last day and a half because she just couldn't think anymore. It was a weird almost surreal state for her because being numb wasn't something she was used to feeling.

How could she go through with the wedding tomorrow?

Why did Clark have to kiss her?

What in the world was Lois going to do?

Those had been the three questions swirling around in her mind all day that had brought her to this bland state of mind where she could barely think of going through her nightly routine much less anything related to affairs of her own heart.

"Maybe I am just too tired to think." Lois whispered to herself and hearing her own voice come to life in the room was enough to shake the expressionless look from her pretty eyes and she shook her head a little.

Lois looked hard at her reflection one more time and then pushed her hands on the edge of the vanity before standing away from it and walking toward her bed. It was a welcome sight with its fluffy pillows and silky soft sheets that had provided her with peaceful rest each night she had stayed in them since arriving at Dalhousie.

She smiled a little to herself and thought about how much she was going to miss that bed when she went home to Metropolis.

But the smile instantly fell from her lips and she stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of her bedroom and closed her eyes.

Lois wasn't going home to Metropolis. She wasn't going home.

It wasn't like it was new information or anything like that but the thought of not living in that wonderful, bustling city that she had known for so many years was like a punch in her gut whenever she really thought of it. Out of all the decisions she had made since she met Bradley that was the one that felt the most wrong.

Even the confusing thoughts she had been having about Clark since their kiss did not feel as overwhelming as moving did which caused her mind to go into another tailspin. Was the reason moving felt so wrong because she knew it was a mistake? Was the reason that it felt more wrong than kissing Clark was because the kiss hadn't been wrong or a mistake?

She ran a hand roughly through her hair and again she shook her head to banish the thoughts from her mind. The night was slipping further and further away from her and no matter what would happen she needed some sleep. It had been a long day of parties and guests and food and fun… well fun for everyone but the bride. And she suspected a certain maid of honor.

"I just need to get some sleep. That is just what I am going to do. Right now." Lois ordered herself and then forced her feet to start moving.

Except that her feet did not take her to that very inviting bed she had had her eye on earlier but to the door to her room.

Her body moved on its own accord as she continued to move for the door and deep down, Lois knew exactly where she was heading but was too afraid to really admit it as her hand reach the doorknob and twisted it to reveal the hallway to her eyes.

And one very flustered but excited looking Clark Kent.

Lois felt her throat constrict and her heart flew to life as their eyes locked. All of the emotions that had been hidden in her for the last day were put on display for him to see as she tried to comprehend that he was really standing there. Still dressed in the suit he had worn to the rehearsal dinner and he looked so impossibly handsome it made her body begin to shake slightly with unquenched desire.

"Hi." She whispered and she noticed that her voice was shaking too. Lois cleared her throat in an attempt to gain some control over the situation. "Hello."

"Hello." Clark replied simply and smiled at her. His smile shined at her and stretched from one side of his face to the other and it was contagious. The next thing Lois knew she was smiling too.

Clark shoved his hands inside his pockets and looked sheepishly at her and that only increased the desire Lois had to bury herself in his arms and make everything better for the both of them.

"May I come in?" He asked and she immediately nodded her head.

Clark walked in the room quietly and she shut the door behind him before following him inside as well. He did not stop until he was on the other side of the room and stood before the window that would give him a marvelous view if it was not pitch black darkness outside.

Lois stood awkwardly in the middle of the room and took a deep breath to steady her emotions.

She wasn't sure what to expect or what she wanted to happen. It was all too much to take in under such a short time frame. This would be one of the few times in their relationship that she would gladly let Clark take the lead and not fight him for it.

So Lois waited for him to start speaking. And after a few moments, he turned around to stare into her eyes and there she saw the emotions before he even said the words. The blue depths that stared back at her held one emotion in them and it was as plain as day.

It was love.

Her heart began to pound in her ears and she shakily drew in a breath as he smiled again at her.

"When you were away I was miserable without you. I mean, I was going out of my mind with missing you so very much. For the first time in a long time, I faced every day without you there to tease me, steal my coffee, no beautiful smile to raise my spirits, no angry tirades to calm down in ways only I can and then of course, I had no spelling mistakes to correct. So I was a lost puppy."

She snorted a little in spite of herself but he did not leave her much time to focus on his playful rant before he continued.

"Lois, I realized that without you, I am not myself. You are everything in this world to me and I know that things aren't ideal right now but—"

His words snapped her out of her blissful trance at the wonderful words he had been saying and suddenly the anger she had had at him the past day spurred deep within her and she glared at him and threw her hands in the air.

"Not ideal? Seriously, Clark? You think things are simply not ideal for what? For you to confess your feelings to me? Considering I am getting married in a few short hours and you waited until now to tell me, I would have to agree that things are not ideal."

Clark stood straight and his nostrils flared in anger. "Getting married in a few short hours? You can't possibly be serious."

Lois quirked an eyebrow at him, "Why not? Why can't I be serious?"

Clark looked at her as if she had grown a second head in the last few seconds and his eyes were as wide as golf balls. If anger and fury had not been coursing through her veins and occupying her thoughts Lois would have laughed at the absurdity of it.

"Why? You can't be serious because we kissed. I kissed you and you kissed me back and don't deny that."

Lois shook her head. "I am not denying that. Why would I deny that? But you have to acknowledge the ridiculousness you have created here."

Clark charged on her and closed the distance between them in a few short strides but his anger did not fade as he just stared at her and breathed deeply trying to maintain even a little control over himself.

"What did I do wrong?" He questioned before shaking his head. "I haven't done anything wrong!"

Lois gaped at him. "You kissed me! You kissed me when I am engaged! Why! Why did you wait! It isn't like you haven't had years to kiss me. It isn't like we just met or that you just—"

"Just realized I am completely in love with you," Clark finished for her and silence engulfed them as his heavy words hung in the air between them.

It was one thing to see it in his eyes and know that he was feeling it but to hear him say the words out loud wasn't something that Lois had been properly prepared for. Not the way she would have liked to have been. And for some reason the vulnerability she felt at the tender words he spoke only served to further her anger.

And it perplexed her even more than she had been the last couple of hours about the whole situation.

She narrowed her eyes at Clark as he stood there probably feeling as vulnerable as she did at that moment. It wasn't like a part of her hadn't seen this coming and what scared her even more was that a part of her had wanted this. Lois had wanted a moment just like this with Clark for a lot longer than she would even care to admit to out loud but it still pissed her off to no end that it had to happen now.

On today of all days, which was officially her wedding day, was the day he picked to say to her something she had secretly wanted him to say for years.

Lois searched his face as he stared at her and she tried to come up with the words she wanted to say and the words she needed to say to him to tell him everything that was going through her mind and her heart.

And she came up empty.

Lois felt her shoulders slump in defeat as she realized that maybe it really was too late for any chance with her and Clark as anything more than friends. If things were really meant to be between them than Clark wouldn't have realized his feelings just when another man entered her life, another man who happened to care about her deeply.

Clark and she had been friends for years and if anything were going to happen between them then it would have already.

"You say that you love me—"

"I do love you. I love you so much," Clark pleaded as he immediately sensed the conversation was taking a wrong turn.

She started deep into his eyes and felt the tears begin to sting her own. "And yet you waited Clark. You waited for years. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to break Bradley's heart? Dump him at the altar! IS THAT WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE ME DO?"

Clark raged as she yelled at him. "WELL IF THAT HADN'T BEEN THE PLAN THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR WEEKS TO STOP YOU FROM GETTING MARRIED!"

Lois blanched at his statement and the severity of his tone as he looked like he was so frustrated he would rip his hair out then she quirked her eyebrow at him again. What was he going on about?

And Clark didn't seem to realize or care that he had let the cat out of the bag because all he did was continue to stare at her with those deep blue eyes that were filled with longing and love and lust and many other things.

"What?" He asked as his chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath.

Lois put a hand on her hip. "What are you talking about Clark? You have been trying to stop my marriage for weeks?"

Clark looked at her blankly. "Well yeah."

Her eyes popped out of her skull at his apathetic attitude and the expression he wore that looked as if she were the one that was slow in the conversation. As if she should already know he had been trying to stop her from getting married for weeks now.

"And how exactly have you been trying to stop my marriage? What have you been like sabotaging it or something?" Lois said jokingly and smirked at him. She had meant it as a joke.

But then he brought out the guilty puppy dog eyes that he always did when he was caught doing something she would not approve of but it wasn't usually something that meant much. The only times she ever really saw those eyes pointed at her was when he forgot to put extra cheese on the pizza or something stupid and meaningless like that.

This wasn't anything like that though.

"You've been sabotaging my wedding?" She whispered in almost disbelief, "This whole time?"

"It was the only way." Clark said just as softly as she had whispered her words.

"The only way to do what? To hurt me?" Lois asked as the tears that had started to sting her eyes earlier came back with a vengeance.

"What? No!" Clark said quickly. "I needed time! I needed to stop this!"

"TIME? You needed time?" Lois yelled fiercely. "You had time Clark. You had time even after I got engaged and you waited. You waited and you wasted all of the time you had to tell me how you felt but instead you sabotaged my wedding!"

"Lois I just wanted—I just did not know what else to do." Clark pleaded. "I had no other options. I had no choice."

Lois shook her head. "Stop playing the victim. You had choices and options and you _chose_ the _option_ of sabotaging a friend's wedding. What kind of a friend are you? You are supposed to be my best friend!"

"I am your best friend and I am so much more. I needed a chance to show you that and if it meant that I might have to throw a monkey wrench or two or three into your wedding then so be it if I got a chance to tell you how I felt!"

"And now you got that chance but at what cost? I find out this whole time the person I trusted most with my future happiness was the one that was going behind my back doing all of the things he could to ruin what is supposed to be the best day of my life." Lois said firmly and a tear slipped out of the corner of her eye.

She just let it roll down her cheek as she felt her heart breaking. Clark had been the one behind all of the wedding mishaps that had been popping up since she had gotten engaged. It had all been his master plan to break up her marriage and steal her away from Bradley as if he had the right to do so.

"Clark how could you! This is my wedding! I get engaged and ask you to help me plan my wedding and the whole time you have been going behind my back undoing everything I spent my time on! What kind of a friend are you!"

Clark steeled himself and stepped closer to her as he grabbed her shoulders roughly and forced her to stare into his eyes. And if the situation was different and if Lois hadn't been so overwhelmed by what she had just learned then she probably would have love to pull Clark into a heated and lengthy embrace.

Except the situation was what it was and Lois had just learned that the man she trusted most in the world was the one that had done everything in his power the last couple of weeks to destroy that trust just to win her heart over. How screwed up is that?

"I am the friend that knows when the woman he loves is about to walk down the aisle and make the biggest mistake of her life. I am the guy that will do anything in his power to make sure you don't get hurt. I am the guy that knows you will never be as happy with another as you could be with me. Don't you know that too?"

Lois shook her head and pushed herself out of his hands. She let the tears fall more rapidly as she implored him with a gaze of hurt disappointment and utter heartbreak.

"What I know is that the person that hurt me is you. And that you need to get out."

Clark furrowed his brow. "What? No I am not going—"

"Get out. Get out now." Lois said firmly and pointed to the door. "I want you to leave. I want you to get out and pack your stuff and just leave. I want you gone."

"You can't be serious. This can't just be it."

Lois looked at him. "I am serious and this is it."

The moment seemed to stretch on forever. The words that had been flung out upon the room had left all of the marks in all of the right places and had inflicted the most pain on both of them. It showed on their bodies and their faces that they had just had the biggest fight they had ever had and the worst part about it was that neither knew if they could come back from something that big.

That uncertainty lingered above them and it almost mocked them.

It was a moment when two people who loved each other more than anything in the world had to face the hard reality that maybe that love wasn't enough to keep them together. It may not be enough to give them a chance at all to be anything more than friends and the desperation on one person's part to not give up that chance so easily maybe the very thing that tore them apart for good.

And it broke them. And there was no fixing it. Not in that moment and maybe not ever. And so what else was there for either of them to say or do?

Nothing.

So he left.

Clark left just like she had asked him to.

And Lois cried.

* * *

End of Chapter 17.

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	18. Chapter 18

Worst Timing Ever

Chapter 18

* * *

It buzzed again in his jacket pocket. Clark sighed and reached into it and took out his phone to see who was calling him for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. His phone had been ringing almost nonstop since shortly after he had left the castle earlier.

This time it was Oliver.

He stared at the caller identification screen and then pushed the ignore button on his keypad before putting the phone back into his pocket. He guessed that the only thing Oliver or Lana or Chloe wanted to talk to him about was where he was at the moment.

Clark had left the castle before anyone had gotten out of bed. It wasn't that he had not wanted to make a dramatic scene. It was more like he had wanted to save himself the trouble of going over what had happened with Lois last night with any of his friends. So what if was cowardly?

That was also the reason why he had not answered any of their phone calls.

What did it matter to them, anyway? They had other things to do today, anyhow.

Wedding related things.

Dammit.

Clark hated the bitter train of thought his mind was on at the moment but he just couldn't seem to help it. The images of Lois in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle, throwing her bouquet, and worst of all, kissing the groom were crashing around in his mind and were absolute torture.

As miserable as he had been the last few weeks as he had helped Lois prepare her wedding to another man, there was the very real part of him that had never faced the possibility of Lois actually getting _married_.

But she was.

And she knew about his feelings and she knew that he wanted her more than anything else in this world and she had told him to leave her alone.

His heart dropped to his stomach as he recalled the words from the night before. The heartbroken look on her face as she had realized that he had been the one behind all of the wedding mishaps and that the person she trusted so much had betrayed her. What really ate at him was that she had made him realize something last night too. She was right.

In the past few weeks Clark had become so caught up in trying to steal the bride that he had neglected his best friend. Sure, the thought had crossed his mind a time or two but he had always rationalized it to himself that it was all worth it. It would all be worth it when Lois and he got together.

Now they weren't together and he realized that it wasn't worth it. He was going to lose her completely. Not just as anything more than a friend but as a friend and partner too. He was going to lose her to another man, another country, another job. He was going to lose everything and the only consolation he would have to comfort him on those lonely days at the Planet when he returned to Metropolis would be that he had at least _tried_ to change things.

Clark let his head hang forward as he began to think of all the things he would be missing when Lois moved away for good. It wasn't something he really cared to think about and had been avoiding it since he had been told she would be leaving. A part of him had never believed it would actually happen so he had never had to face it but now… he kind of had to.

He remembered how miserable he had been when she had been in London for just a few weeks.

It was one of the worst times he could remember in his life recently and he was going to face that same thing again but now it would only be worse because she wouldn't be coming back and they were fighting and they may never get over it. Who could blame her if she never forgave him? He had sabotaged her wedding for crying out loud and what had he really expected her to say to that?

Thanks? No big deal?

That just wasn't Lois Lane. Clark should have figured her reaction would be less than welcoming to the news that her friends had been scheming behind her back to ruin her her happy day. And then there was another thing he had never really thought about before… how much did Lois really care about Bradley? Sure, she was impulsive and did things on the job without thinking them through first but in her romantic life she was usually on the cautious side. So didn't that mean that she truly loved Bradley? That she loved him enough to spend her life with him?

Clark shook his head at his own thoughts.

He knew she may care about Bradley but… deep down Clark knew she loved him. Clark had felt it in their kiss. She had reacted like a woman in love with him not a woman who loved and was about to marry another guy. Lois loved him. He could feel it. He knew it.

He knew it.

Clark's head snapped up and he immediately sprang forward out of his chair in the small airport terminal and began to frantically run toward the exit sign.

If he could hurry then maybe he would stop Lois from making the biggest mistake of their lives.

~X~

The image in the mirror reflected back at her and little did she want to admit it but it was everything she had ever secretly dreamed of as a girl when she thought about her wedding day and while she had never been one to believe in fairytales and prince charming… getting married had crossed her mind over the years.

The dress was immaculately primped and mended and was absolutely beautiful as was the veil that adorned her head and the train the flowed behind her as she stood in the middle of the room in the church that was meant just for her to get ready in.

And now she was ready.

Lois glanced at the mirror one more time and her attention was caught by the reflection of her two bridesmaids in the corner of the room. Chloe and Lana were whispering in soft tones and were trying to keep it to themselves that they were freaking out. They had been on the phone all morning and Lois knew who they were trying to reach but he apparently wasn't answering.

She watched them for another moment before sighing loudly. Lois rolled her eyes and turned to face her two friends.

"He isn't going to pick up."

Lana and Chloe both jumped slightly in the air as if they were surprised by Lois' very presence in the room. They recovered quickly and fidgeted with the cell phone in their hands and tried to act discreet. They failed miserably.

"Who," Lana asked innocently.

Lois rolled her eyes again and was quickly losing the tight grip she had on her nerves. She just wasn't in the mood for their crap especially after what they had been doing the past couple of weeks. Their innocent act wasn't going to fly today.

"Clark isn't going to pick up."

Chloe gave Lana a sideways glance before stepping forward a little. "Aren't you at all concerned? Clark is your maid of honor."

Lois laughed sardonically. "Yeah and he was doing a bang up job of it. What with all of the things he had to sabotage. I mean there was the flowers, the cake, the plane tickets, and let's not forget, the dress. He had so much to do in so little time. I wonder how he ever managed."

Chloe moved to say something but Lois held up her hand to stop her and gave her an icy look of anger that gave her cousin a clue that she was not in the mood to hear any feign attempts at disbelief. "And don't you even start Chloe I know that you and Lana were in on it too. Clark may have had the motive but in his nature he is a broody farmboy and never would have been conniving enough to ruin a wedding. Nope that evil plan drips of the two of you."

Lana's face flushed almost purple in anger and probably embarrassment and she turned abruptly in the room and rounded on the only other woman there. Tess sat calmly in her seat as the petite brunette advanced on her and got almost right in her face before yelling at the redhead. Tess never even blinked as Lana began her tirade.

"I can't believe you told! What right did you have to tell her? This wasn't any of your business."

Tess smirked. "And it was yours? Get off your high horse, Lana. Out of all the people in this room I am the only person that actually helped Lois out when she needed it. And I am not even her friend."

Chloe had also turned around and gotten all huffy in outrage and anger. "Exactly! And that is why you told her about the plans! You stole her only chance at happiness with Clark! You're evil!"

Lois groaned out as the two woman continued to spew out insults and perceived grievances against Tess as she calmly sat and took everything in with a cool, almost amused smile on her pretty face.

"She didn't tell me!" Lois yelled out and caused all three women in the room to look at her in shock for a moment.

"What?" Chloe asked and tried to calm down.

"If she didn't tell you then… who did?" Lana whispered. "Was it Oliver?"

Lois felt her shoulders slump momentarily. "How many people knew about this anyway? What about Mrs. Kent or Bradley? Do they know, too? Don't tell me you forget to include Shelby in the plot. I am sure he could have helped somehow. Maybe he could have just bitten me in the ass as I walked down the aisle, huh? Has this all been just one big joke to you? Well I am not sorry to tell you that it isn't funny."

Lois turned around toward the small vanity that held all of the beauty products she had needed to get her-self ready to be a blushing bride and sat down on the small stool in front of it. She absent mindedly grabbed a blush brush and began to sweep it over her cheeks even though she didn't need it. She was totally ready to go and had been for a while now.

She just wanted a distraction.

"Clark told you." Tess stated.

Lois felt her heart constrict in her chest again as the mere mention of his name brought his face to her mind.

"Yes." She replied simply.

"He did?"

"What? When?"

Lois rolled her eyes at the two women and did not try to hide the dramatic sigh she let escape her perfectly painted lips before turning her face toward them and giving them an exasperated look of annoyance. They were surprisingly slow on the uptake.

"You know for co-conspirators it would seem you don't talk very much. Don't you know that the key to a great plan is all in the execution and when it comes to conspiracies it doesn't suit you to not talk to your partners?"

Chloe and Lana shot each other a momentary guilty look before turning back to her with looks of interest on their faces.

"What happened?" Lana asked quietly.

Lois turned back to the mirror and shrugged off the question, "Nothing much."

"Right and that's why Clark fled the castle this morning without so much as a 'see ya later' to anyone?" Chloe admonished. "I don't believe that."

"Lois… you can tell us." Lana said softly and tried to throw in a comforting, friendly smile but Lois wasn't buying it. She huffed out an angry breath and turned back toward her friends before she stood.

"No I can't tell you what happened. I can't tell you because not only have you proven that I can't trust you these past few weeks but you are also standing there trying to comfort me in my time of need and neither of you have apologized yet for trying to ruin my wedding! I can't tell you because I can't bear to even think about the fact that Clark waited all of these years to tell me he loves and now it is too late."

Lois sucked in a much needed breathe and put her hand up to stop Chloe as she went to add something but she wasn't finished just yet and no one was going to stop her from saying what was on her mind since last night.

"I mean who does that big lug think he is, anyway? He marches right into my room one night without saying anything and plants an amazing kiss on me! Like he had any business to do that! I mean it isn't like he had any business to do that and make me go all weak in the knees and start questioning everything I had planned these last few weeks. He had no right to make my heart skip a beat at the mention of his name or wonder about what it would be like if Clark were waiting to become my husband instead of Bradley! Clark had no business making me fall in love with him!"

The words escaped her lips and Lois felt frantic as they reached her own ears and the weight of the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Her heart sped up and her hands started to shake as her chest began to heave up and down with unsteady breathes and for a few very real seconds Lois thought she may be having a panic attack.

"Lois, are you all right?" Lana asked with concern lacing her voice as she stepped forward and grabbed a hold of one of Lois' wrists.

The contact jolted Lois out of her thoughts and back into reality as she looked frantically between all three women in the room with her. "Oh my god… I love Clark."

Tess smirked. "Took you long enough to figure it out. And you think you are so smart."

Lois glared at her and shook Lana off of her and stepped into Tess' personal space briefly as she made her way for the door. "Don't mess with me, Mercer. I have to go find my man."

~X~

The air was crisp as they raced along the corridors of the church and passed many of the bewildered wedding guests as they made their way toward the entrances because it wasn't every day the bride was seen fleeing away from the aisle.

But those guests could also tell from the look of determination on the young woman's face that she knew exactly what she was doing and that she was heading in the right direction despite the contradiction of her white dress and her walking away from the alter where the groomsmen had already started lining up for the ceremony.

A ceremony that obviously would not be taking place anymore.

The guests started to buzz about with speculation and wonder as the bride got closer and closer to her destination and most of them followed her with their eyes and turned their bodies to get a closer look at her and started gossiping about what was going on.

Then just when the bride reached to open the heavy doors to the front of the church they suddenly burst open in front of her and she seemed to be frozen solid as she and everyone else took in the latest addition to the wedding that was rapidly becoming a very weird and not to mention confusing event.

It was the missing-in-action maid of honor.

He stood in the doorway breathing heavily and he looked as if he had just run a great distance with a flushed face and disheveled black hair all over the place as he stood there staring at the woman before him.

And everyone strained to hear what was being said as he opened his mouth to speak.

"I don't want you to get—"

"Save it Smallville. I don't want to hear it."

Then she was in his arms. They became locked in a searing kiss in the middle of the church as she was dressed in a gown ready to marry another man and it seemed to everyone watching that none of that mattered to the young couple. To them the world probably had disappeared altogether as they soaked up each other in a heated and loving embrace that went on and on until it became too intimate for the onlookers to watch anymore.

So they aimlessly went about their own business whether it be to gossip about the odd turn of events or the inevitably of what they had just seen or how heartbreaking it was for the young groom to be left at the altar like that.

And the couple continued their loving kiss until they needed air to breathe and if the guests had still been listening in they would have heard a very simple conversation take place as the two young lovers broke apart slightly with gorgeous smiles on both their faces.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have the worst timing ever?" She whispered.

He chuckled. "Once or twice, usually when I have to correct her typos right before a deadline or when I suddenly remember my late video rentals before an important interview. But other than that, nope."

"Well you do have the worst timing ever and one more thing, Smallville."

"What?"

"I love you too." She added with a smirk. "And you are so not off the hook for your sabotage plans. Be prepared for severe, long, drawn out punishment. It could take years."

He chuckled again. "I look forward to it."

* * *

End of Chapter 18.

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	19. Chapter 19

Worst Timing Ever

Epilogue

* * *

Six Years Later

The glimmer of the city cast a glow around the happy couple as they stood at the altar. The crowd erupted in applause as the two were finally announced to be husband and wife to the crowd for the very first time.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Queen," The minister boasted proudly to the small crowd that had gathered on the rooftop of the Metropolis Public Library. The newly married couple began to walk down the aisle.

Lois clapped along with the other guests. She was just as happy for the couple as the other invited attendants but inside, she was breathing a sigh of relief.

She leaned into whisper something into her husband's ear, "Finally, it took them long enough."

Clark smiled at her, "They could say the same thing about us."

Lois rolled her eyes. "They have been dating for twelve years. Once we figured out we were meant to be we quickly decided to make it permanent and not leave our loved ones hanging."

Clark slowly began to nudge her into the aisle as they crowd made its way into lower parts of the library where the reception was being held. As they began to blend in with the other guests, Chloe and Jimmy quickly became visible.

Chloe shared Lois' sentiment. "Finally, they put us out of our misery by finally tying the knot."

Lois turned to Clark and raised an eyebrow, "I told you. They waited way too long; they should have been married years ago."

Chloe and Lois looped arms as they began to slowly trek through the crowd of very important people that had assembled to see the billionaire get married. Although, half of the people there were only interested in Oliver's deep pockets, a faction of the people that attended did care.

So that is why when they found their table it was with the married couple. Lois approached the table, which was one among the many round tables and not a cliché head table, she could see the bride and groom focused on the most important person in the room, their daughter.

Jade was four years old with a mop of curly red hair and sparkling blue eyes. She was currently seated on her father's lap. Oliver looked up as he saw them approaching and smiled warmly, "Hey you guys, did you like the ceremony?"

Jimmy chimed in, "It was beautiful. I am so happy for you."

Tess smiled. "Thanks Jimmy. I appreciate it. Jade, look Junior is coming to sit by you."

"Yep, but to be warned, he did not have his nap today," Chloe said as she put Junior in the empty seat next to Jade's, "So he might be really cranky."

Jimmy Junior was Chloe and Jimmy's two year old son who was the spitting image of his mother but already showed an interest in photography. He was always seen with his play camera hanging around his neck so that he could be just like his father.

Lois sat in her seat and Clark sat next to her.

She had to admit that he was a very charming and sweet little boy. It was a surprise how attached she had gotten to him. Jimmy Junior was constantly over at his Aunt Lois and Uncle Clark's house. Her opinion on kids had drastically changed since the people in her inner circle started having them.

Not only was Junior adorable but Jade was just a wonder to watch as she grew and the affect that she had on making her parents' world seemingly the happiest ever had been was making Lois think about a lot of things lately.

Lois stared at Clark. He was a gorgeous man with the biggest heart of anyone she knew and all she had been able to think was what kind of father he would make. Lois had a hunch that he would be the best father in the world.

The conversation turned to things like the meal, and Tess' dress, and when the cake was going to be served but Lois was lost in thoughts of the last few years.

Since Clark had swept her off her feet in England and brought her back stateside, they had jumped right into a very serious relationship. Lois had no idea what her life would be like if she had decided to stay with Bradley.

It might have been rather comfortable and interesting to most women in the world.

Bradley was handsome and charming and very well off. After all, he was connected to royalty. Even though he had been initially very upset about her breaking off their engagement, he has eased up over the years.

They had been forced to see one another over the years because Lana had ended up marrying his cousin Philip and was currently residing in London with her husband and their first child, Lauren who was only six months old. That was why they had been unable to the attend the wedding.

The most awkward meeting with Bradley had been at the wedding of Lana and Philip which had occurred four years after she had left him at the altar. It was also only two months after Lois and Clark had married in a small ceremony in Smallville.

Now, they had not flaunted their marriage in his face but the rings on their fingers and the hyphen of her last name certainly led Bradley figuring it out.

He had taken it well and according to Lana, he had recently begun dating a young lawyer in London and the relationship was apparently going very well.

Lois was glad to hear it because now, when they ran into Bradley maybe all of the lingering tension would finally evaporate.

Clark turned over his shoulder and glanced at Lois. He must have noticed that she was deep in thought. He leaned back and slipped his hand in hers underneath the table. When Lois felt the contact she looked into his eyes.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Everything okay?"

Lois shook her thoughts from her head. She leaned into to whisper in his ears. "Actually, I was thinking maybe it's time you and I joined the kiddie club and had a baby of our own, what do you say?"

Clark leaned back to stare into her eyes. The joy reflected in his gaze made Lois tingle with excitement. He raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice, "Yeah?"

She nodded, "Yeah."

Clark leaned in slowly and kissed Lois so deeply that her bones felt the emotion coming from him in that moment. She was not sure what her life would be if she had chosen another path but she knew deep down, that no other path but this would be as happy as this made her right now.

* * *

The End.

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